As apparitional as sails that cross / Some page of figures to be filed away
-- Speaker (Lines 6-7)

Importance: This line in the second stanza utilizes a homonym, or a word that can have two different meanings despite having the same sound. Here the poet uses “sails” to refer to the sail of a ship crossing the river, or a sales figure written across a ledger. By drawing attention to the common sound of these two separate words, the poet shows how the images have other elements in common.

panoramic sleights / With multitudes bent toward some flashing scene / Never disclosed
-- Speaker (Lines 9-11)

Importance: In the third stanza, the speaker turns their attention indoors to an environment where many people are crowded together as if worshipping a mutual deity. This moment juxtaposes the attentions towards the false stories with the reverence for the bridge and all it represents.

Thy guerdon ... Accolade thou dost bestow / Of anonymity
-- Speaker (Lines 26-27)

Importance: The speaker uses...