The Bridge

The Bridge: Structure

The structure of The Bridge is frequently discussed. The poem is primarily viewed as a single, long poem. However, it is also understood as being comprised of 15 lyric poems. The poems in The Bridge vary greatly in length, subject matter, form, and meter. Hart Crane intended that his poetry would reflect the changing flow of jazz and classical music, which he frequently listened to while writing.

The Bridge is made up of the following 15 parts or poems:

1. "To Brooklyn Bridge"
2. "Ave Maria"
3. "Powhatan's Daughter: The Harbor Dawn"
4. "Powhatan's Daughter: Van Winkle"
5. "Powhatan's Daughter: The River"
6. "Powhatan's Daughter: The Dance"
7. "Powhatan's Daughter: Indiana"
8. "Cutty Sark"
9. "Cape Hatteras"
10. "Three Songs: Southern Cross"
11. "Three Songs: National Winter Garden"
12. "Three Songs: Virginia"
13. "Quaker Hill"
14. "The Tunnel"
15. "Atlantis"

The Bridge: Summary

The Bridge begins with Crane establishing the Brooklyn Bridge as a central figure in the text through his poem "To Brooklyn Bridge." He personifies the bridge as a structure that interacts with nature and reminds city dwellers of the vastness of the world. The poem ends by suggesting that the bridge is something that shows compassion for the people, evoking the sense of God depending upon his people:

The idea of religion and nature being intertwined continues in Crane's second poem, "Ave Maria," which is a fictionalized account of Columbus's rough journey home from America by sea. Columbus attributed the safety of his journey to the intersession of the Virgin Mary:

Fig. 2 ‐ The poet compares the blue sea Columbus sailed on to Mary's "ageless blue" mantle.

Hart Crane's poetry divulges deeper into a fictionalized American history, as the next part of his book is called "Powhatan's Daughter." This five-part poem begins with an epigraph quoting a colonist's description of Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan's daughter.

The poems in this section divulge into the American landscape and experience, spanning greatly different times and locations. However, they touch on the idea of history and how American history is tied together in a river of rushing moments, events, dreams, and landscapes. In "Powhatan's Daughter: The River," the poet writes:

The "Powhatan's Daughter" poems divulge rapidly in a series of styles and ideas. Still, they return to the idea of Pocahontas as a sort of mother of America from which American life, nature, and people stem. Hart Crane depicts Pocahontas as a powerful, maternal, and romanticized force.

In "Cape Hatteras," Crane explores the idea of the powers of nature, technology, and industrialization in intense, densely packed stanzas ultimately dedicated to the American poet Walt Whitman (1819‐1892). Crane's poem deals with the mechanization of flight, as Cape Hatteras was where the Wright Brothers took off on their first successful flight, and it was also the site of a later plane crash.

Fig 3 ‐ Cape Hatteras is on the coast of North Carolina and endures great winds.

In the section of his book entitled "Three Songs," Hart Crane explores the idea of human sin, lust, and the need for redemption through the biblical ideas of Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Eve. The poems explore the intense human longing for meaning and connection, which is frequently met with frustration. In the second poem of the section, "Three Songs: National Winter Garden," Crane writes:

The final poems of Hart Crane's collection, "The Tunnel" and "Atlantis," hone into the idea of industrialization and the modern world as a place of overwhelming overstimulation. However, in the final poem, "Atlantis," Crane returns to the idea of the Brooklyn Bridge as an imposing figure that ultimately evokes a heavenly air. The ideas and symbolism found in "The Tunnel" and "Atlantis" will be explored further in the following section.

The Bridge: Analysis of Symbols and Metaphors

The Bridge and "The River" are both titles of Hart Crane's works, which are reoccurring ideas throughout his poetry book.

The Bridge

The poet uses the image of the Brooklyn Bridge to frame his poetry book. Both the initial poem, "To Brooklyn Bridge," and the final poem, "Atlantis," are built on the imagery of the Brooklyn Bridge in different circumstances and surroundings. Both poems ultimately portray the bridge as a glorious symbol of modernity that stands for America's identity and future.

Rather than falling into despair over the rapidity of change and overstimulation of modern city life, Crane ultimately sees the bridge as a pathway to progress, which contains its own unique beauty and evokes the idea of eternity. The final poem of the book, "Atlantis," clearly illustrates the hope amidst industrialization:

Fig. 4 ‐ In The Bridge, Hart Crane depicts the bridge's suspension cables as the strings of a harp that play heavenly music.

The idea of bridges also comes in the midst of the poetry book, enforcing the idea of connection. As bridges link places together, Crane aims to do the same, linking times, places, and ideas in the stream of American history and ideals. The bridge also symbolizes this notion of interconnectedness, emphasizing how the past is linked to the present and the future.

The River

The river is used as a metaphor that points to the interconnectedness and flow of American existence and history. As the poet jumps between the times of Columbus's journey to New York City's burgeoning industrial life, he suggests that there is a fluidity of time and experience. He uses the river as a metaphor to symbolize the rapid current and progression of American life. The country's past history flows into its future in a singular stream.

In the poem "The Tunnel," Hart Crane compares the New York City subway to underground rivers, full of motion and aiding interconnectivity:

The Bridge: Poem Meaning

Although Hart Crane's poetry appears to divulge down a variety of avenues, The Bridge ultimately conveys the meaning that American life and identity are simultaneously rooted in the past and the future. The Bridge depicts the poet's sense of hope in the future of modern America, which is built upon its interesting history, ingenuity, and natural beauty.

The Bridge: Themes

The Bridge explores the themes of God, spirituality, nature, and the modern world. Hart Crane interestingly depicts how these things are intertwined through his highly stylized verse.

God and Spirituality

The Bridge makes frequent references to God and the Christian religion. Hart Crane alludes to Latin hymns of praise and frequently mentions the Virgin Mary, in addition to Mary Magdalene and Eve. In the poem "Ave Maria," which means 'Hail Mary,' the poet writes:

Hart Crane uses a sense of spirituality to explore a human search for meaning and destination. The poet uses spirituality to encapsulate the magnitude of life and history as it is experienced. His references to God and religion evoke a sense of spirituality, which he interestingly uses to depict the beauty and power of nature and the modern world. Just as Crane combines the worlds of the past and present, he characterizes the physical world with elements of the spiritual world.

Nature and The Modern World

Similar to how Crane's poetry praises God, it also gives praise to nature and the modern world. The poet depicts the vast beauty of the American landscape, spanning states and terrains, and traveling rural lands to New York City. However, the poet does not shy away from the crowded confusion of modernity. He instead channels it into a greater picture of the innovation of America. The Bridge stands as a representation of modernity and its capacity to evoke spirituality and engage with the natural world and humanity in a positive way.