One of Whitman's most important stylistic devices in "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" is his extremely careful choice of wording, or diction. When, in lines 2 and 3, the meaning of the poem stresses the ordered and categorical process of science and mathematics, Whitman's language is full of mathematical words such as "proofs," "figures," "charts," and "measure." Or, when he is attempting to suggest the actual and magnificent nature of the night sky, Whitman describes the speaker's wandering with the words, "rising and gliding," which suggest the behavior of the stars or astronomical bodies themselves. This language is not simply descriptive; it is meant to bring out the poet's thematic goals because of the resonance of the words in the reader's mind.
Another example of the importance of diction to the poem is.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 553 words. This
study guide contains 7,495 words (approx. 25 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer Access Pass.
