“
in the second stanza, with many caesuras, commas, and semicolons
that slow the rhythm and pace (for example, l. 3: “When I was shown
the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them;”). The
slow, heavy pace of the lines, coupled with the four repetitions of
the introductory “when” phrases, emphasizes the narrator’s view of
the lecture as long, drawn out, and repetitious. Even though the rest
of the audience seems to appreciate the astronomer, giving him “much
applause” (l. 4), the narrator
”
”