'When I Heard The Learn D Astronomer'

123 Words1 Pages
In the poem, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”, Walt Whitman exhibits the theme of experiencing certain situations before critiquing them. For instance, Whitman declares, “ I became tired and sick, Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself.”(line 5) He felt lost due to not knowing about astronomy. He then goes outside and experiences the stars. That is when he truly understands astronomy and all of its qualities. Moreover, Whitman declares “When i was shown the charts and diagrams to add, divide, and measure.”(line 3) he had no idea what all of those subjects meant. That was a result of not yet experiencing it. When he actually sees the sky and all of the stars, he understood everything more clear.