Through the use of simple diction, Whitman is able to span both time and distance and connect with his readers like few others. other poets can. His mastery of verbiage draws readers into the poem in a way few other poets can. In “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,” Whitman creates a vignette about the Brooklyn of the past and connects it to the present, albeit in a surprising way. Whitman's omnipresence allows the reader to imagine themselves in the settings he created and interpret them in modern language. By creating a path through cities of the past, Whitman connects with his readers in a fascinating and deeply personal way. Whitman's mastery of language is demonstrated in the ability of the poem's narrator to speak directly to those who read his poetry, long after he is dead. Whitman's evident enjoyment of nature is so great and impressive that he is able to span time and share his experiences with those who will come long after him through the use of images of monuments that he believes would stand the test of time. In 1849, Whitman reflected on this in his poem "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" about the sustainability of the Croton Reservoir, located between 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, when he described the view of a sunset over the water and the colors that the rays of light create. “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” is divided into nine sections or “chapters.” The first five lines of the first "chapter" begin with an allusion to some of the physical phenomena Whitman encountered, such as the rising tide, the scene of clouds in the western sky, and the bustling crowd scene on the ferry , and "you who will cross from one shore to another in years" (CITE). The brief opening stanza introduces the main themes of the poem...... middle of paper ...... l The man implores the multitudes of natural phenomena he has already mentioned: the tide and waves, the clouds, current and future ferry riders, the masts of Manhattan and the hills of Brooklyn, ships and seabirds to continue to do what they do best, their natural activities This summarizes the main themes of the poem and Whitman's own consciousness that connects him to future generations and separates him from his present. Without being separated at all, Whitman would not have. no individual conscience nor the ability to search for the complex connections he creates in his poetry. As he says in the last four lines: We use you and do not reject you - we plant you permanently in us, We do not understand you - we love you - there is perfection in you too. You provide your parts for eternity, Great or small, you provide your parts to the soul (CITE).