Whitman “Learn’d Astronomer” Group Activity

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 Whitman

Directions:

Assign everyone in the group an individual task. Everyone is to do his or her assigned task individually; don’t worry—you’ll get a chance to revise your answer after discussing with your group

Individual Task 1

Write your name and your responses in your area of the group paper.

Pick three vocabulary words and define them.

Pick what you feel is the most meaningful line in the poem, and explain what it means and why you picked it.

Individual Task 2

Write your name and your response in your area of the group paper.

Which character prefers an objective view of the stars, and which character prefers a subjective view of the stars? State your claim, explain it, and support it with evidence.

Individual Task 3

Write your name and your responses in your area of the group paper.

What is the setting in the first eight lines of the poem? Does this setting emphasize objectivism or subjectivism? State your claim, explain it, and support it with evidence.

Individual Task 4

Write your name and your response in your area of the group paper.

What is the setting in the last three lines of the poem? Does this setting emphasize objectivism or subjectivism? State your claim, explain it, and support it with evidence.

Share with the Group your responses.

Take turns sharing individual responses. After sharing, ask the group for suggestions on how to improve each answer. Write your revised answer based on input from the group. In your box you should have two answers: your original answer, and then your revised answer based on group discussion.

Group Center Box:

Discuss as a group, and then write a paragraph response in the center box. State your claim, explain it, and support it with evidence.

How does Whitman seem to feel about objectivity versus subjectivity?

Which view of reality does he seem to prefer?

Does this make Whitman more of a Romantic, or a Realist? Why?

Extra Credit:

  1. Rewrite the poem as a short story. Use your imagination to develop characters and lengthen the plot, but stay true to what the poem says and means. Consider adding a line or two of dialogue. Keep the first person narrator.
  2. Write a short essay about the author’s philosophical beliefs as he represents them in the poem. Include the concepts of objectivity and subjectivity in your discussion. Support your thesis with evidence from the poem.