C. "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer" by Walt Whitman is a perfect example of a Romantic poem as it expresses several key Romantic ideas and utilizes a structure that reinforces its meaning.
One of the primary Romantic ideas expressed in the poem is the rejection of scientific rationality in favor of the sublime and spiritual. The speaker initially attends a lecture by a knowledgeable astronomer where they are presented with proofs, figures, charts, and diagrams, all representing the scientific method. However, instead of finding enlightenment or inspiration, the speaker becomes tired and sick of this detached, analytical approach to understanding the cosmos. It is only when they leave the lecture room and immerse themselves in the natural world, under the "mystical moist night-air," that they truly experience a profound connection with the stars. This idea of finding truth and transcendence outside of scientific facts is a central tenet of Romanticism.
The structure of the poem reinforces this Romantic idea by juxtaposing the rigid, analytical environment of the lecture room with the free, immersive experience of nature. The first three stanzas consist of long, elaborated sentences, mirroring the organized and methodical presentation of scientific knowledge. These sentences are filled with technical language such as "proofs," "figures," "charts," and "diagrams," emphasizing the precise and logical thinking associated with science. However, in the fourth stanza, the tone changes dramatically as the speaker abruptly cuts themselves off from the lecture and embraces the untamed beauty of nature. This shift is mirrored in the structure of the poem, with shorter and more fragmented lines reflecting the speaker's increasing restlessness and dissatisfaction with the confinement of the lecture room. The final line, "Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars," is isolated on its own, highlighting the speaker's awe and wonder in the face of the vast, mysterious universe.
Overall, "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer" aligns with several Romantic ideas, such as the rejection of scientific rationality in favor of the sublime and spiritual. The structure of the poem effectively reinforces this meaning by contrasting the analytical lecture room with the immersive experience of nature, ultimately emphasizing the speaker's yearning for a more authentic and emotional connection with the universe.
Respond to one of the following essay prompts: A. Poe believed that good short stories require a single, unifying effect. Evaluate one of the stories in the American Romanticism unit using Poe’s standard of unity. Do the descriptions, incidents, and images all contribute to the single effect of the story? Is there a single effect? Feel free to evaluate Poe’s own story. B. Consider what you have learned about American history during the period of 1820 to 1864. How do the stories in the American Romanticism reflect what was going on in the country then? C. Read and analyze "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer" by Walt Whitman. What Romantic ideas does it express, and how does the structure of the poem reinforce the meaning? 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 the 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.
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