3B+Cunningham

media type="custom" key="24533090" When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer by Walt Whitman


 * M y response to how the stylistic features of the poem contribute to the overall theme of the piece is below: **

Walt Whitman's // When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer //, follows the transcendentalist concept of simple wording as opposed to lengthy round-a-bout spiels, that were considered poetic prior to the era of Romanticism. Likewise, I didn't try to over-exaggerate any pauses, or dramatic overtones, and spoke with a splash of prose, as to let the weight of the poem come forth on its own merit, as opposed to being puppet to superfluous showmanship. As the poem closed, I added a slight emphasis to the ending, as to reinforce the concept that he closes with: that mystic night-time air is more relevant, than conventional lessons ever will be. I tried to also emphasis the monotony of the "learn'd astronomer's" lessons, that the poet himself emphasizes with the use of lists, and repetition.

**My Response to "When I Heard The Learn'd Astronomer**

When I Heard The Learn’d Astronomer Response

WHEN I heard the panic’d murmurs; When the bewildered countrymen gathered in masses; When their best men, were left to speculate, to ponder, and question; When I, strolling, heard their final answer, a shocking conclusion that left them in fear, How sudden, laughably, I left them to wallow, In my warm abode, adorned with bookcases, as I do in such times, When only I know why the sun grew black.