The Poem: “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman
Stanza 1
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 diagrams, to add, divide, and measure
them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause
in the lecture-room,
Stanza 1 – Paraphrase:
When I listened to a highly educated astronomer speak,
And he showed me calculations and numbers neatly arranged in tables,
And when he presented graphs and charts, explaining how to add, divide,
and measure the stars,
And I sat there while he gave his lecture, which the audience applauded
with great enthusiasm.
Stanza 2
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.
Stanza 2 Paraphrase:
Suddenly and for no clear reason, I began to feel bored and even unwell,
So I quietly got up and left the room. I strolled alone into the mysterious,
damp night air. And every now and then, I looked up at the stars in
absolute silence.
Central Idea:
The poem "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" emphasizes that while
scientific knowledge is valuable, but true appreciation of nature comes
from personal observation and spiritual experience. Walt Whitman shows
that connecting with the natural world emotionally can be more meaningful
than understanding it through facts and figures.
Summary:
In When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer, Walt Whitman describes attending
a lecture by a famous astronomer who explained the stars through
mathematical data and scientific charts. Although the audience admired the presentation, the speaker felt tired and uninspired. He quietly left the lecture
room, went outside into the calm night, and looked up at the stars in silence.
That moment of direct connection with nature gave him a deeper and more
personal understanding than any lecture could.
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