I never liked Walt Whitman's When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer. It's gotta be one of the most popular sections of Leaves Of Grass, perennially, included in samplings of Great American Poetry, particularly those taught to schoolkids.
To me, it came off as kind of anti-science, to the belief that science operates at the expense of wonder, while I believe the absolute contrary, that science is the greatest source of wonder.
Later, I made a re-appraisal: the poem is more about gasbag lecturers who present science as a dry accumulation of facts--they are the ones who've sucked out all the wonder--and it was against them that Whitman, slipping away in the starry night, rebelled.
I was reminded of this poem when coming across ICP's 'Miracles' video, a literal fuck-you to scientists for sucking all the 'magic' out of everything (lyrics). I really wish they had seen it the other way....
But now check out this SNL parody video that mercilessly skewers 'Miracles'!
