Crossing Brooklyn Ferry Identity Quotes Page 2
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| Quote #4 The wolf, the snake, the hog, not wanting in me, |
The speaker has a veritable jungle inside him. He's part-man, part-wolf/snake/hog. Once again, his choice of words is interesting. He says his evil thoughts and actions are "not wanting," or lacking, as if it would be a problem if they were lacking. His "dark patches" make him a complete person.
| Quote #5 But I was a Manhattanese, free, friendly, and proud |
By calling himself "Manhattanese," the speaker connects his identity to the Native Americans who originally inhabited the island. A lot of people think of Whitman as a nature poet, someone who hangs out in the grass all day. But, at heart, he's a city slicker: a big, brash New Yorker.
| Quote #6 Played the part that still looks back on the actor or actress, |
The speaker suggests that the roles we play in public are more real than our private thoughts. Whitman seems to follow Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophy of "self-reliance' in saying that our public roles are whatever we make of them. We can be Hamlet, Polonius, or the guy who serves the drinks: the choice is ours.
