A Celebration of Uncle Walt

When I heard the Learn’d Astronomer

by Walt Whitman



WHEN I heard the learn’d astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;


Till rising and gliding out, I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.





The speaker could very well be Whitman himself. In general, the speaker is a person who does not care so much for facts and statistics. He/she grows bored of "figures" and "proofs", and feels more content with the tangible experience of watching the sky. This poem emphasizes the importance of nature and reality. Facts, statistics, and numbers and numbers are useful, but the speaker expresses how other things are more important. The lecture does not enable the speaker to feel at peace or relaxed. It is seen with the diction of "mystical night air" and "perfect silence" that the speaker expresses his/her delight with nature and escaping the constricting confinement of the lecture. This poem also makes a comment on education, using "learn'd astronomer" and "applause in the lecture-room" to show the loyalty and respect that people tend to grant to the educated. The speaker is sickened and tired of the devotion, which causes him/her to leave in search of the stars. The stars can also represent non-conformity, breaking away from the norm to find happiness.



The repetition of "when" is implemented to demonstrate a boring, methodical pattern. This creates an almost dizzy effect, portraying the thoughts and disinterest of the speaker. The fifth line breaks this form to explain the speaker's true feelings on the matter. "How" provides contrast to "When" and "soon" allows the reader to see that the speaker has little attention for the information. It is important to take note that the speaker appreciates and enjoys admiring astronomy, but does not care for the figures.



The parallelism of "rising" and "gliding" create a rhythmic flow which contrasts to the more staccato form of the first stanza. The past continuous tense of these verbs present a sense of immediacy and interest. As opposed to the many preterite tense verbs in the first paragraph (aside from "sitting"), the second stanza emphasizes a more urgent and important cause. This shows the speaker's attitude toward the lecturer and the stars.



The meter of the first stanza begins with trochee foot. The phrase "heard the learn'd astronomer" places stressed syllables on "heard," "learn'd," and "mer" of "astronomer". "Till rising and gliding out" is arranged in dactyl foot, placing stress on "ris," and "glid". I wander’d off by myself'" is arranged in lambic form. The first stanza more choppy with anapest and trochee.



I am a great fan of the lover of people, Walt Whitman. I would have liked to know him or have had him as my grandfather. I feel connected to many of his poems because of his love for nature and people. I admire the man who used to sit on the ferry just to people watch. I am not a fan of numbers and scientific data as much as I am of philosophizing and absorbing the "mystical moist night air". This chose this poem because I agree with it's message.