Unity and Social Divides

As a literal structure, the Brooklyn Bridge unites two sides of the East River. On a symbolic level it represents a unification of people, social classes, and America as a whole. At its core, the poem is about coming together in “anonymity” (Line 27), or equality. Practically, the Brooklyn Bridge separates the middle-class borough of Queens from the lower-class area of the Bronx, and elitist Manhattan from Queens and Brooklyn. As a structure it literally “bridges” opposing elements of social class and makes it easier for one to bleed into the other. Moreover, the suspended bridge unites the river below with the endless potential of the sky above. With these contrasts in mind, it becomes easy to see Brooklyn Bridge as a central apex of worlds.

As the poem progresses, its human characters are faceless and indistinct compared to the clearly defined features of...