The Speaker

The poem is told from the point of view of an unnamed person watching the bridge as it passes through its day. Much like the bridge itself, the speaker serves as a link between the divine and the mundane. While they can see and appreciate the mysticism that the bridge represents, they can also travel to other places within the city such as the cinema — “With multitudes bent toward some flashing scene” (Line 10) — or an office building — “Till elevators drop us from our day” (Line 8). The speaker represents the potential that lies in all of us to transcend the everyday and open our eyes to the mysteries beyond.

The Bridge

Although inanimate and impersonal, Brooklyn Bridge serves as the poem’s second and most complex character. The speaker sees the bridge as a living, breathing thing: “Thy cables breathe the North Atlantic still” (Line 24). They address the...