I hope you all had an amazing weekend! I realize that I did not spend nearly enough time on our previous Poet. Therefore, I am going to continue with Walt Whitman.
One of Whitman's well-known poems is tilted "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer". When reading his work, I have to say that I can relate to the lethargic feeling of this student of astronomy. Though often it is necessary, sometimes sitting in a classroom does little to keep my interest in learning. I appreciate the stars more when I can personally view them. I love gazing at the sky at night when no lights are around. It is one of the most incredible sights to see. Unfortunately, though I cannot remember all of them, I rather enjoyed studying the star constellations in high-school, and I try to pick out the figures I can recall.
I think that maybe the author is saying that some things simply cannot be learned inside a classroom. Therefore, it takes more then the scientific knowledge of the universe -or maybe even nature- for us to appreciate, enjoy, and or understand the universe.
When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer
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
I too can relate to how you feel about the stars, and obvious how Whitman feels about them too. There is something awe inspiring about stars that just makes us realize how little we are, even though they are so small themselves. It reminds there is a universe beyond our reach, and because it is more than we can every understand, we appreciate them so much more, and the God that make them!
ReplyDeleteBethany, I first read this poem a couple of years ago and I had no idea what it was trying to say. It wasn't until I was properly introduced to a classroom setting in college, as I was home-schooled, that I thoroughly understood Whitman's meaning here. It is easy to lose interest in the lecture and get so bored and confused that you just want to leave, but it's the practical application that makes you truly appreciate a subject. I love the stars as well, it's one of my favorite parts of living in the country in the middle of nowhere. The stars are always beautiful and clear and so, so wonderful out here.
ReplyDelete