When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer-Luke Steadman|Ben Braithwaite by Luke Steadman (Student FVHS) https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585 Poem By:Walt Whitman en-us 2022-02-16 21:13:14 UTC 2022-02-18 21:10:26 UTC hello@padlet.com lcsteadman100 https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2051898172 When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
by Walt Whitman
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,
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.
]]> 2022-02-16 21:22:45 UTC https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2051898172 Walt Whitman bcbraithwaite100 https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2051900957 2022-02-16 21:24:47 UTC https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2051900957 lcsteadman100 https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2054071520 2022-02-17 20:52:51 UTC https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2054071520 Question #5:Are there any symbols? What do they mean? Are they universal symbols or do they arise from the context of this poem? lcsteadman100 https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2054075164 There are many symbols within this poem. For instance, the speaker makes reference to proofs, columns, and figures. These examples could symbolize rules that people must follow and the speaker does not want to listen. In order to express the disgust that he faces, the speaker says, "How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick." In the last line of the poem, the speaker wanted to look up at the stars without knowing why or how they worked, but for the pure beauty they held. All the speaker wanted to do was, "Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars." The stars can represent a break or release from life, to get away from the rules and worries that can be dragged along. Universally, mostly everybody can relate to this as not everyone wants to follow the rules. Some people would like to sit back in life and enjoy the beauty of it rather than laboring constantly without actually enjoying life for what it is. ]]> 2022-02-17 20:55:32 UTC https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2054075164 Question #2:What heavily connotative words are used? What words have unusual or special meanings? Are any words or phrases repeated? If so, why? Which words do you need to look up? lcsteadman100 https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2054112216 One word that is repeated a lot in the first four lines of the poem is "when." This quote appears a lot because the speaker was sick and tired of hearing the astronomer speak. In the fourth line of the poem the speaker says, "When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture room." The poet uses the word lecture a lot which can be used in a bad way. A lecture can be a stern talking to from an individual of higher status which are not usually very fun. Because the speaker no longer wanted to hear the words of the astronomer, he left the room and wandered off. After doing this, the poem had a change in words. Instead of using "when" the poet used words that connote to looking up. For example, "how soon," "till rising," and "look'd." At first I didn't understand why the poet used words like look'd and learn'd but then I found out it's because the speaker is a rule breaker and doesn't want to follow normal tradition.]]> 2022-02-17 21:24:44 UTC https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2054112216 Question #3:What images does the poet use? How do the images relate to one another? Do these images form a unified pattern (a motif) throughout the poem? lcsteadman100 https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2055923004 When describing the two settings that this poem depicts, the poet uses very differentiating diction. When explaining the situation in which the narrator is learning in his classroom, he uses words like "lectured" and applause for lecturing. On the contrary, when depicting the wonderful world of nature, the poet uses brilliant words like "mystical" and "perfect." These images can relate to each other by showing the reader that there is much difference and opposites between the actual world and that behind a textbook. These images can create a motif by making the reader feel that going out into the "perfect silence of the stars" is a million times better than being stuck behind paper.

]]> 2022-02-18 20:53:19 UTC https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2055923004 Question #1:What is the poem’s tone? Which words reveal this tone? lcsteadman100 https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2055923490 The tone of this poem can be identified as one of defiance and learning. The poet seems to have this thinking that going out and discovering the world on your own is highly recommended over getting taught everything by a teacher that just got taught everything by someone else. Words that reveal this kind of tone is those of, "How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick", explaining that sitting at a desk learning  is not something that people should be okay with doing all day, and that teachers shouldn't stop students from wanting to venture off by their own. ]]> 2022-02-18 20:53:51 UTC https://padlet.com/lcsteadman100/b1xbuhdk5iei0585/wish/2055923490