When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer by Walt Whitman

[kellyrfineman]

Yesterday's poem, Choose Something Like a Star by Robert Frost, had me thinking of sharing something by T.S. Eliot with you, but I really didn't feel like putting the time and effort into an analysis of The Wasteland today, so instead I've gone a slightly different direction. In the middle of yesterday's poem come these lines:

Say something! And

Comments

[kellyrfineman]

Sounds right to me.

Whitman wasn't actually opposed to science, and he studied astronomy, among other subjects, but I think he was making one of his points about individualism and about how there are bigger things in this universe than science.

Interesting topic

[ext_231429]

I have not read this before, but it is an excellent little poem. My reading of it would certainly be that "while science is all well and good, there's something to be said for appreciating the universe in silence" but I have no way of being sure that is what Whitman intended.

Thanks for sharing this. This is my first visit to your journal, but I'll bookmark it so I can visit again.

Re: Interesting topic

[kellyrfineman]

So glad you stopped by! I tend to agree with your analysis. Or at least he's going with "a time to listen to astronomers, and a time to marvel at the stars".

[mlyearofreading]

I'm going for "science is all well and good" but there's something to be said for just plain appreciation, without all the facts. What writerjenn said.

[kellyrfineman]

Works for me!

[p_sunshine]

While measurements are all well and good, sometimes to appreciate beauty, you just need solitude?

[kellyrfineman]

That totally makes sense to me. I think of it as being similar to the "a time to laugh/a time to cry" passage in the Bible - a time to appreciate the facts and a time to appreciate the beauty of the object. Sort of.