When I Heard The Learn'd Astronomer

Considering the title I think the poem may to be about an astronomer, from the reader can understand that the speaking voice learns something (about his personal experience).

Considering the lay-out the poem is arranged in one single stanza of 9 free lines, but there are some which are longer than other ones.

The first four lines start with the some word : WHEN, the function of these lines is to focus the reader's attention in a particular moment of his personal experience.

The title of the poem is repeated in the first line so the intelligent reader understands that the title and the content are the ''same''.

In the first part of the poem the speaking voice speaks about his personal experience when he was in a lecture-room. His function is to illustrate , to introduce the event.

There are many words that help you understand the poem is about astronomy like : astronomer, diagrams, add, divide etc..

The function of the second part is to express his personal reaction that isn't so enthusiastic, in this part the speaking voice learns about the starts from his experience, while in the first part there are many presentations, diagrams that explain the starts.

The speaking voice wants to underline that the astronomer speaks about the stars too much, with diagrams and presentations, so this is a rational attitude and the language is scientific.

In the second part the approach is totally different, it's an emotional and individual one.

There are some peculiar words that help us understand the speaking voice's approach.

The long lines in the first part create the atmosphere that the speaking voice had during the lecture so it makes the reader understand that it's a boring situation, in fact in the first part the noise was boring and stressful, probably he couldn't follow the lecture very well.

In the second part the silence makes the speaking voice to few detached,he enjoy moving around and see the stars.

So , in conclusion the intelligent reader understands the poem is about the different approach about the study of stars.