3B+Pierce

Video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx9iBww6A3xCb1hjYk84VUJ6Nm9UUkt6eWJWZFNreVdyTHRn/edit?usp=sharing

====There are many stylistic elements in the poem //When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer// by Walt Whitman. One of these features is the repetition he uses in the first half of the poem when he repeats the word "When" at the beginning of the lines. This element suggests boredom and monotony. However, when the narrator decides to leave and look at the stars the author ceases to use repetition at the beginning of lines. This stylistic element aids in the development and change of the tone of the poem. It shows that when the narrator learns by facts and data he becomes tired of it, but he is always mystified by the beauty of nature and the starts.You can also a notice a change in the diction that Whitman uses. In the first half he uses words such as "charts and diagrams" and "figures" (Whitman lines 2 and 4). These words are bland and very to the point and do not create a mental picture like the ones he uses in the second half such as "mystical moist night air" (Whitman line 10). This shows that when the narrator is talking about observing nature he is inspired by it, but when he is looking at the facts and statistics he doesn't have the same passion for it. You can also notice a change in the punctuation of the poem. At the beginning he uses many commas to separate and list ideas, "When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add,/ divide and measure them" (Whitman lines 4-5). But once the narrator leaves the lecture room and goes outside the excessive punctuation disappears and it becomes one big idea. This effective element portrays the simple, holistic ideas of transcendentalism. The superfluous amounts of lists and data pale in comparison to the simple observations of nature. Another thing that changes is the length of the lines. At the beginning the lines run on and form a second line. This suggests the complexity of math, science, and education. However, towards the end Whitman begins to use simpler and shorter sentences which contain more meaning than the previous longer ones. This shows that you don't have to be excessive in your thoughts and that by saying less you can often imply more.====