In this poem, the speaker’s views vary from those of the astronomer. Explain how this is true. Be sure to refer directly to the poem in your response. With whom do you empathize more—the speaker or the astronomer? Give reasons for your answer. 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. Walt Whitma

When reading the poem we can see that the astronomer uses graphics, images, calculations and evidence about the stars, the celestial bodies and their influences in our world. In other words, we can say that the astronomer has facts that prove what these celestial bodies do and how they change our lives. These facts can be proven based on science and it is this certainty of proof that makes me identify myself more with the astronomer.

The speaker, on the other hand, feels tired with all this scientific explanation, because he sees the celestial bodies in a more emotional way and interprets them according to his mood. Although the speaker's interpretation also has its value, our mood and emotions are very unstable and can have interpretations far from reality. That is why I do not like the speaker very much.