Flood-tide below me! I watch you face to face; by Walt Whitman — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Flood-tide below me! I watch you face to face; Clouds of the west—sun there half an hour high—I see you also face to face. Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how curious you are to me! On the ferry-boats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home, are more curious to me than you suppose, And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are more to me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose. The impalpable sustenance of me from all things at all hours of the day, The simple, compact, well-join’d scheme, myself disintegrated, every one disintegrated yet part of the scheme, The similitudes of the past and those of the future, The glories strung like beads on my smallest sights and hearings, on the walk in the street and the passage over the river, The current rushing so swiftly and swimming with me far away, The others that are to follow me, the ties between me and them, The certainty of others, the life, love, sight, hearing of others.

Translation (English)

The tide is rising below me; I am watching it closely. I see the clouds in the west and the sun setting; I am looking at them closely too. I find the crowds of people in their usual clothes very interesting. The many people on the ferry-boats going home are more interesting to me than you think. And those who will cross the river in the future are even more important to me and my thoughts than you might think. I am nourished by everything around me at all times of the day. Everything is part of a simple, well-connected plan, even though we are all separate. The similarities between the past and the future. The beautiful moments in my smallest experiences, like walking on the street or crossing the river. The strong current carries me far away. The people who will come after me and the connections we share. The certainty of other people's lives, love, sight, and hearing.

About the Poet

Walt Whitman (19th Century)

Walt Whitman was an influential American poet known for his work 'Leaves of Grass'. He incorporated transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often called the father of free verse. His poetry often focused on themes of democracy, nature, love, and friendship.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free Verse
When Written: 1856
Background: This poem is part of 'Crossing Brooklyn Ferry', which reflects Whitman's fascination with the interconnectedness of people across time and space. It captures the essence of human experience and the continuity of life.

Sources: https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=60856, https://www.brinkerhoffpoetry.org/poems/crossing-brooklyn-ferry, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Whitman

Detailed Explanation

This poem is an excerpt from Walt Whitman's 'Crossing Brooklyn Ferry', which explores the theme of human connection across time and space. The speaker reflects on the flood-tide and the clouds, observing them with a sense of immediacy and presence. The crowds of people in their everyday attire are a source of curiosity, as they represent the continuity of human life. The speaker is more intrigued by the future generations who will cross the river, emphasizing the timeless nature of human experience. The poem highlights the interconnectedness of all things, with the speaker feeling nourished by the world around them. The imagery of the current rushing swiftly symbolizes the passage of time and the shared journey of life. The poem conveys a sense of unity and the enduring ties between individuals, past, present, and future. Whitman's use of free verse allows for a fluid and natural expression of these themes, capturing the essence of human existence and the beauty of everyday moments.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
Flood-tide	rising tide	the tide when it is coming in	fluhd-tahyd
impalpable	intangible	something that cannot be touched	im-pal-puh-buhl
sustenance	nourishment	something that supports life	suhs-tuh-nuhns
disintegrated	broken apart	separated into parts	dis-in-ti-grey-tid
similitudes	similarities	things that are alike	si-mil-i-toods
glories	splendors	magnificent or beautiful things	glohr-eez
meditations	thoughts	deep reflections or considerations	med-i-tey-shuhns
compact	dense	closely packed together	kom-pakt
scheme	plan	an organized arrangement	skeem
attired	dressed	clothed in a particular way	uh-tah-yurd
curious	interesting	arousing curiosity or interest	kyoo-ree-uhs
certainty	surety	the quality of being sure	sur-tuhn-tee