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 the 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
About This Quote

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 the 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 looked up in perfect silence at the stars. William Wordsworth is a well known poet who wrote "The Nightingale." In this quote from his poem "The Prelude," Wordsworth teaches us that true happiness comes from being alone with nature. The poet is speaking about his experience at Cambridge University between 1805 and 1807. In this period, Wordsworth was surrounded by so many different types of people that he began to feel “nervous” and become overwhelmed.

He felt that being around all of these people was making him lose his connection with nature. He was originally a very shy person but at university he developed an outgoing personality. The nightingale in his poem represents nature because it sings beautifully throughout the night.

It sings its song to show that there is still beauty left after all of the darkness has passed away. Nature is also known as God’s work because it provides us with everything we need to live on this earth.

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