"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" was written by poet, teacher, and Civil War volunteer nurse Walt Whitman. Whitman first published "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" in 1865 in his poetry collection Drum-Taps. In the poem, Whitman conveys his belief in the limits of using science to understand nature. Rather, Whitman suggests, one needs to experience nature for true understanding, instead of measuring it. The poem is an example of Whitman's characteristic free verse.
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The Full Text of “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”
1When I heard the learn’d astronomer,
2When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
3When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
4When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
5How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
6Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,
7In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
8Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.
The Full Text of “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”
1When I heard the learn’d astronomer,
2When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
3When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
4When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
5How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
6Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,
7In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
8Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.
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“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” Summary
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“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” Themes
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Knowledge, Nature, and Experience
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Individuality and Freedom
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”
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Lines 1-2
When I heard the learn’d astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me, -
Lines 3-4
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, -
Lines 5-6
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself, -
Lines 7-8
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.
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“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” Symbols
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The Astronomer
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Stars
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“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Imagery
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Repetition
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Caesura
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Alliteration
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Consonance
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Assonance
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Asyndeton
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“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Learn'd
- Astronomer
- Proofs
- Ranged
- Unaccountable
- Wander'd
- Look'd
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” Speaker
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“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”
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More “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” Resources
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External Resources
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Whitman's Poem Read Aloud — Listen to a reading of the poem aloud by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.
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Whitman's Poem and Astronomy — Read about the poem in the context of astronomy and listen to astrophysicist Janna Levin read the poem aloud.
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Planetary Radio Discussion and Whitman's Poem — Listen to a radio discussion where scientists discuss the poem from their perspectives, starting around 43:50.
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"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" Christmas Carol — Listen to the poem adapted as a Christmas carol.
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"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" Song Adaptation — Listen to the poem adapted into a song.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Walt Whitman
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