"When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" by Walt Whitman by Molly Wilfert (Student FVHS) https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih Made with charisma en-us 2022-02-17 21:03:47 UTC 2025-12-31 15:45:17 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f52d.png 1. What is the poem’s tone? Which words reveal this tone? Is the poem ironic? mjwilfert100 https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054093177 The poem's tone starts off very calm and carefree as the speaker sits through an astronomer's lecture on stars, "When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture room,". However the poem soon takes on a somewhat tense and hostile feel after the speaker can no longer bear to listen to the lecture and leaves, "How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,". I don't feel this poem is ironic because of the fact that the speaker is just explaining his actions and feelings.]]> 2022-02-17 21:09:48 UTC https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054093177 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? mjwilfert100 https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054093713 The poet uses images in his writing so we can see what he is sees and feel the same emotions he feels. For example, through the line "When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture room," we can feel as though we are right next to him in that lecture room as the people around clap for the astronomer. Another strong image the poet gives us is in the line, "-and from time to time, look'd up in the perfect silence at the stars.". From this line, we can sense the quietness, as well as the beauty of the stars which the poet is drawn to looking at. I do think that these images form a motif because the lecture the poet had just sat through was given by an astronomer, which we can assume was talking about stars. After leaving the lecture early, the poet went out and admired the stars. Since these two images can be connected through the aspect of the stars, I do feel it can be an example of a motif. ]]> 2022-02-17 21:10:14 UTC https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054093713 4. What figures of speech are used? How do they contribute to the tone and meaning of the poem? mjwilfert100 https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054094077 Whitman used alliterations through his writing, examples being, "rising and gliding", and "mystical moist". The use of "rising and gliding" was placed in the poem right as the tone started to become tenser. The alliteration sped up the pace at which we read the poem, adding to the tense mood. Whitman also used a metaphor, "-mystical moist night air.", comparing two unlike things being the foggy air and something mystical. The metaphor used added to the meaning of the poem, by giving the readers an image of the dark night which we can only assume was very beautiful along with the sky full of stars. ]]> 2022-02-17 21:10:34 UTC https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054094077 6. What is the theme (the central idea) of this poem? Can you state it in a single sentence? Elaborate on your idea. mjwilfert100 https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054094348 The theme of the poem is that you must explore/experience nature first hand in order to fully understand it. The speaker of this poem got sick of sitting through the lecture filled with the scientific aspects of stars, "When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,". Instead of sitting through the rest of the lecture he got up and left to explore nature, and view the stars himself, "I wander'd off by myself, In the mystical moist night air, and from time to time, look'd up in the perfect silence at the stars." I feel that Whitman believed more in experiencing the beauty of nature instead of just studying the scientific and mathematical aspects of it. Instead of bashing the study of nature, Whitman brings in the idea that some may find a deeper connection with nature by exploring it on their own.

]]> 2022-02-17 21:10:48 UTC https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054094348 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 mjwilfert100 https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054098543 2022-02-17 21:13:57 UTC https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2054098543 Molly Wilfert & Isabel Grammas mjwilfert100 https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2060066221 2022-02-22 07:52:43 UTC https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2060066221 mjwilfert100 https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2060068517 2022-02-22 07:54:21 UTC https://padlet.com/mjwilfert100/wz5xenhsh05zwyih/wish/2060068517