The speaker is an observant commuter traveling from Manhattan to Brooklyn. He possesses an intense sensory perception and an eager desire to connect with others. Acknowledging his own human flaws and animal hungers, he views himself as an equal participant in the daily routine of city life. He experiences a moment of profound spiritual clarity while observing the sunset and the river.

The reader exists decades or centuries after the speaker's original commute. The speaker challenges them to look beyond physical isolation and recognize a shared human experience. They receive an invitation to step into eternity and perceive the radiant material world that the speaker witnesses on the East River.

The commuters are everyday workers traveling between Manhattan and Brooklyn. They perform their daily routines and appear disconnected from the spiritual grandeur of the river and the sunset. They represent the collective reality of urban life and serve as the speaker's immediate physical community.