what is the syntax of when i heard the learn d astronomer

Full Answer

What is the structure of when I heard the learn D astronomer?

Structure ‘When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer’ consists of eight lines, and each line is part of a single, long sentence. The first four lines each start with the word “when” which makes them seem like a list of facts more than part of a poem (although repetition is of course a poetic trope).

What is the poem when I heard the learnd astronomer about?

When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer by Walt Whitman. This poem, ‘ When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer’, can be summarized as depicting Whitman ’s preference for a naturalistic view of the world over an analytical one. The poet describes feeling ill and bored during a scientific lecture on astronomy.

How many lines are in when I heard the learn-D astronomer?

‘When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer’ consists of eight lines, and each line is part of a single, long sentence. The first four lines each start with the word “when” which makes them seem like a list of facts more than part of a poem (although repetition is of course a poetic trope ).

When I heard the learn-D astronomer by Walt Whitman summary?

In the poem “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” Walt Whitman writes of a speaker who is exposed to the knowledge of the stars in the sky and the Milky Way galaxies, but is restricted from fathoming a deeper understanding in those observed phenomena.

What is the structure of when I heard the Learn D astronomer?

Structure. 'When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer' consists of eight lines, and each line is part of a single, long sentence. The first four lines each start with the word “when” which makes them seem like a list of facts more than part of a poem (although repetition is of course a poetic trope).

What is the rhyme scheme of when I heard the Learn D astronomer?

"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" is not written in any particular form, meter, or rhyme scheme, but rather in free verse. Indeed, Whitman is often described as the "father of free verse," as his poems popularized free verse for English-language audiences.

What style of poetry is Whitman known for writing?

free verseA humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse.

What is the purpose of the poet's use of the phrase learn'd astronomer in line 1 of the poem?

What is the purpose of the poet's use of the phrase "learn'd astronomer" in line 1 of the poem? to suggest that the astronomer is a great scholar in his field.

When I heard the Learn D astronomer symbolism?

“When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer”, A comment on Scientific Knowledge: The poem presents a stark comparison between scientific knowledge and cosmic reality. The speaker is listening to an astronomer, explaining facts about stars using several mathematical tools; charts, diagrams, and columns.

Which best describes the rhyme schemes in a Psalm of Life and Auspex?

Which statement best describes the rhyme scheme in "A Psalm of Life"? The poem adheres to a strict ABAB rhyme scheme throughout each stanza. Which best describes the tone that the first stanza of "A Psalm of Life" sets for the rest of the poem? What does each stanza in "Auspex" show?

Is poetry a free verse?

Free verse poetry is poetry that lacks a consistent rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form. While free verse poems are not devoid of structure, they allow enormous leeway for poets, particularly when compared to more metrically strict forms like blank verse.

What does the phrase "learn'd astronomer" mean?

The phrase “learn’d astronomer” contains irony. Whitman uses this phrase to say that the astronomer was well-versed yet his lectures could not inspire him. When he came out in nature, he felt more inspired than his factual lecture.

When I heard the learned Astronomer?

Historical Context. ‘When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer’ first appeared in “Leaves of Grass.”. It was a collection of Walt Whitman’s poems that the poet continued to refine, edit, and re-publish throughout his lifetime. It is considered to be one of the most important volumes of poetry in American literature.

What literary device does Whitman use to portray the speaker's state of mind?

Anaphora: The first four lines of this poem begins with the word “When”. It’s called anaphora. Whitman uses this device to portray the speaker ’s state of mind.

How does the poet describe feeling ill and bored during a scientific lecture on astronomy?

There he is shown a variety of figures, columns filled with dry data, charts, and diagrams. The instructor asks him to add, divide, and measure the facts. This process seems extremely tedious for him. That’s why he goes outside, gliding out into the mystical moist night. After going outside and looking up at the stars, he seems to feel better.

What does the repetition of lists in the first half of the poem mean?

This repeated use of lists in the first half of the poem is meant to symbolize the sense of boredom the speaker felt. Imagine a lecture being merely a long list of facts that one cannot follow and does not understand. Trying to pay attention to the lecturer could easily become a mind-numbing exercise.

What is the shift in tone and meaning at the end of a poem called?

Whitman uses more elegant, somewhat flowery, words. This shift in tone and meaning at the end of a poem, commonly referred to as “the turn” in literary analysis, is meant to emphasize the poem’s meaning. In this case, Whitman is illustrating his preference for learning about nature by being in nature.

What do the first four lines of the poem start with?

The first four lines each start with the word “when” which makes them seem like a list of facts more than part of a poem (although repetition is of course a poetic trope ). The second, third, and fourth lines list the ways astronomy is discussed by the lecturer and the audience ’s reaction to that discussion.

When I heard the learned astronomer, what is the poem about?

In the poem “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” Whitman utilizes rhetorical devices like parallel structure, repetition, and sound rhymes to expose the harsh reality of being confined by facts and calculations. Through the speaker’s restlessness, he embarks on a self – journey that enables him to gain a more profound understanding and appreciation for the universe. Whitman emphasizes the power of having a romantic and imaginative perspective as the poetic speaker ultimately establishes peace and unity with the universe, gaining full view of the sky and looking in “perfect silence at the stars.”

When I heard the learned astronomer, Walt Whitman writes of a speaker who is exposed to the knowledge of?

In the poem “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” Walt Whitman writes of a speaker who is exposed to the knowledge of the stars in the sky and the Milky Way galaxies, but is restricted from fathoming a deeper understanding in those observed phenomena. Through the analysis of the central problem the speaker presents, Whitman forces readers to think beyond scientific calculations and hard facts. By emanating the power, beauty, and mystery of the universe through the style of the poem and through the speaker’s own journey in discovering the world, Whitman not only reveals the many facets of the universe that mere numbers and diagrams cannot sum up, but also criticizes the scientific perspective by offering readers a more romantic and imaginative perspective that yield a deeper appreciation. Through the speaker’s ultimate end with peace and revelation of beauty and mystique, Whitman promotes the conceptions of solitude and non-conformity to society’s fast-paced developments and beliefs.

When I heard the learned astronomer?

"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" begins by repeating the title , something that often occurs in Whitman's poetry and gives extra weight to the first phrase, to set up the idea that the speaker is listening to an educated scientist. This phrase also stands out because of its internal rhyme, or rhyme within the same line, of "heard" with "learn'd." This is also a slant rhyme, or an inexact rhyme, since "learn'd" has an "n" sound unlike "heard," but it nevertheless emphasizes a sense of repetition. The slant rhyme even gives the first line an impression of awkwardness, since it is difficult to pronounce and uses the same long vowel sound twice in a row.

When I heard the learned astronomer, what is the meaning of the poem?

When, in lines 2 and 3, the meaning of the poem stresses the ordered and categorical process of science and mathematics, Whitman's language is full of mathematical words such as "proofs," "figures," "charts," and "measure." Or, when he is attempting to suggest the actual and magnificent nature of the night sky, Whitman describes the speaker's wandering with the words, "rising and gliding," which suggest the behavior of the stars or astronomical bodies themselves. This language is not simply descriptive; it is meant to bring out the poet's thematic goals because of the resonance of the words in the reader's mind.

What Do I Read Next?

Ralph Waldo Emerson's last major philosophical volume, Conduct of Life (1860), contains many of the views that were so influential over Whitman. Stressing the importance of self-reliance, the book also reveals Emerson's romantic aesthetic theory.

What is the third line in Astronomy?

The third line, in which the speaker is shown materials related to astronomy and asked to manipulate mathematical equations, is full of mathematical diction, or word choice, such as "charts," "diagrams," "add," "divide," and "measure." These words make up almost the entire line, and they are likely to overwhelm the reader, as they will increasingly overwhelm the speaker. That the speaker is asked to "add, divide, and measure" the "charts and diagrams" also emphasizes the negative side of the process, as though the lecture has nothing to do with the sky but merely manipulates its own figures.

Why is it important that the speaker leaves the lecture "by myself"?

Finally, it is important that the speaker leaves the lecture "by myself," because this suggests that, unlike the group effort of scientific analysis, the speaker will be approaching the phenomenon of astronomy alone. Like an artist, the speaker will be interpreting the stars on his own terms, as a creative individual.

What does Line 2 of the poem show?

Line 2 of the poem then presents the interesting image of "proofs" and "figures" of mathematical equations "ranged," or arranged , in "columns." Notice that the poem's first four lines become increasingly longer, unlike these columns, which presumably go straight up and down within the same horizontal space. If a poetic line stretches beyond the margin, the standard method of printing that line is to continue it below, after an indentation. If a poetic line is continued in this way, therefore, it does not change the fact that the line should be considered to extend further and further to the right. Thus Whitman is likely to be contrasting the visual poetic expansion in the lines with the columned mathematical expansion of the astronomer's proofs.

What is the theme of "When I heard the learned astronomer"?

What best describes a theme of "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer"? A major theme of Whitman's 1867 poem "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" is the limitations of science. In the poem, the speaker is listening to a lecture and finds himself bored. In his opinion, beauty and nature cannot be fully articulated but only experienced.

What does Whitman say about science?

For Whitman, science can remove the poetry and wonder from nature, really, it removes everything that makes nature natural. Nature has always been a great theme for poets, and Whitman contrasts the poet's approach with the scientist's approach.

What does the speaker do in the final line of the poem?

This is what the speaker does in the final line. It also seems significant that speaker is alone at the end of the poem.

Introduction

Author Biography

Poem Summary

• Lines 1–2
  "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" begins by repeating the title, something that often occurs in Whitman's poetry and gives extra weight to the first phrase, to set up the idea that the speaker is listening to an educated scientist. This phrase also stands out because of its internal rhyme, o…
• Lines 3–4
  The third line, in which the speaker is shown materials related to astronomy and asked to manipulate mathematical equations, is full of mathematical diction, or word choice, such as "charts," "diagrams," "add," "divide," and "measure." These words make up almost the entire line, a…

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