Jump to content

When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer 


Genady

Recommended Posts

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 at the stars.
 
Perhaps Walt Whitman came to the lecture unprepared. He didn't know how much depth, beauty, perspective he missed.
I wonder, who the "learn'd atronomer" was?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

This question came up decades ago at an astronomy club.  Our best guess, based on Whitman's geographic locations in the time around the Civil War (the poem published 1867), was that Simon Newcomb could have been the lecturer (if there was an actual lecture, and Whitman wasn't just fabricating the experience for artistic purposes).  As I'm sure at least one of our moderators knows, Newcomb was a professor of mathematics and an astronomer at the US Naval Observatory.  Whitman worked in DC during the Civil War and possibly could have attended lectures?   

@swansont

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.