To Brooklyn Bridge Identity Quotes Page 1
Citations follow this format: (Line)
| Quote #1 I think of cinemas, panoramic sleights |
The idea of prophecy is important to the poem. The cinemas "foretell" a scene where something is not ultimately "disclosed," while the bridge is like a prophecy revealed. The cinemas are portrayed negatively, while the bridge, as we know, gets fawned over like one of Paris Hilton's little dogs. But both the movies and the bridge make people feel anonymous – part of the masses – in their presence.
| Quote #2 Tilting there momently, shrill shirt ballooning, |
Crane suggests how in the city we often observe people from a safe distance, like this person standing on one of the towers of the bridge. We don't have any details such as a face or a name to match with the "bedlamite." He is regarded simply as one rather insignificant part (a jester) of a large caravan.
| Quote #3 Accolade thou dost bestow |
The bridge makes us feel small, but another way to put it – more positively – is to say that it praises our anonymity. Isn't that kind of a backhanded compliment? "Nobody knows who you are – but that's great! Good for you!" One aspect of living in a democracy is that one person is not supposed to be considered superior to another, so everyone is more or less a face in the crowd.
