In my view, the central concern of Crossing Brooklyn Ferry is that life becomes meaningful when we genuinely appreciate the tiny things that nature gives us and lives in the moment of it. As I read the poem, I noticed how Whitman describes beautifully to natural ordinary scenes such as summer sky, river, waves, hills, seagull, and people. Whitman described them deeply and emotionally, which I think that the meaning of life comes from paying attention to everyday experiences in the nature. I reached this idea because Whitman emphasizes details of nature such as how the summer sky reflects on the river, how the seagulls fly high, the movement of their bodies, the way their wings float in the air, and so on.

From this part of the poem, “saw them high in the air floating with motionless wings, oscillating their bodies, Saw how the glistening yellow lit up parts of their bodies and left the rest in strong shadow, Saw the slow-wheeling circles and the gradual edging toward the south, Saw the reflection of the summer sky in the water” , I can also see Whitman’s use of repetition and lists. The way he repeats the word “saw” makes me more focus on each detail, and I begin to notice how carefully the poet describes the small things around him.