Question

read the excerpt from “crossing brooklyn ferry.”
just as you feel when you look on the river and sky, so i felt,
just as any of you is one of a living crowd, i was one of a crowd,
just as you are refresh’d by the gladness of the river and the bright flow, i was refresh’d,
just as you stand and lean on the rail, yet hurry with the swift current, i stood yet was hurried,
just as you look on the numberless masts of ships and the thick - stemm’d pipes of steamboats, i look’d.
what is the purpose of the repetition in these lines?
○ to highlight that the narrator feels misunderstood by others
○ to emphasize that the narrator’s experience is universal
○ to highlight that the reader and narrator are from different times
○ to emphasize that only the reader can relate to the narrator

Explanation:

The excerpt from "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" uses the repetition of "Just as you... so I..." or "Just as you... I..." structures. This repetition draws parallels between the reader's (or "you") experiences and the narrator's experiences. By showing that the narrator felt, was part of a crowd, was refreshed, stood and was hurried, and looked at ships/steamboats just as the reader (or the "you" addressed) would, it emphasizes that the narrator's experiences are not unique but shared or universal—something that others (including the reader) can relate to. The first option is incorrect as there's no indication of the narrator feeling misunderstood. The third option is wrong because the repetition doesn't highlight different times but shared experiences. The fourth option is incorrect as it says "only the reader can relate," but the repetition shows the narrator's experience is relatable (not exclusive to the reader). So the purpose of the repetition is to emphasize the narrator’s experience is universal.

Answer:

B. to emphasize that the narrator’s experience is universal