When I heard the learn’d astronomer - analysis 

When I heard the learn’d astronomer

1 When I heard the learn’d astronomer, 

2 When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me, 

3 When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them, 

4 When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room, 

5 How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, 

6 Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself, 

7 In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time, 

8 Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

Just considering the title the intelligent reader may be curious about what the poet heard from the astronomer.

The poem is arranged into 1 stanza of 8 line, there is a regular pattern. Each line start with a capital letter and end with a coma.

The repetition of the word “when” at the start of the first, second, third and fourth  line make them look like a list of what the poet did and learned by the astronomer and underline that the poem would take place in a definite moment in the past.

The change of synthase from the fourth line split the poem in to parts.

In the first part the poet saw the evidences that the astronomer finds and uses for his speech. 

He saw the scientific part of the astronomer’s works.

So the first part introduce the situation.

The second part represents the consequences of what did the poet saw and learned from the confront with the astronomer and the speaking voice reaction.

He felt sick as a consequence of the boring situation he been throw as you can understand from the sound of the words learn’d and heard, a long sound

Also the passive form “was shown” that highlight he didn’t fell involved.

He forgot all the scientific skills that the astronomer told to him and just consider the sky and stars as the mystic creature they are, he felt moved by the night. You can understand that from the alliteration of the two words mystical and moist.

This poem want to focus the reader attention on how the scientific knowledge become irrelevant in front of the magnificent of the creation.