Walt Whitman's When I Heard The Learn D Astronomer

In When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer, Walt Whitman employs diction, syntax, and pace in order to communicate and develop the main idea of the poem: that any technical understanding or observation of nature, or the Universe, is inferior to one of impassioned experience. Although short, the poem has changes and movement that can be traced throughout. Largely a discussion on the sublime, the poem is immersive and engaging, as well as clear in its message. Most notable is the pedantic image of the astronomer in the lecture hall. Whitman uses mechanical lists of mathematical argot with, portraying a tone of dispassion and monotony and impressing this upon the reader. Contributing to this effect is the repeated use of “When” at the beginning of each line describing the lectures. The speaker’s distaste for this atmosphere is palpable and clearly stated, as Whitman writes “How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick.”

The tone completely changes from tense to peaceful, conveying a sense of wonder and ethereality. Compared to the hall, which seemed suffocating, the outdoors seems freeing and clean; these ideas are best expressed through Whitman’s designation of the night air as “mystical” and “moist.” Similarly, Whitman dubbs the silence as “perfect,” which stands in stark contrast to the humdrum described in the first half pertaining to the astronomy lectures. Overwhelmingly, these perceptions are considered positive in comparison to the