Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer  By  cover art

When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer

By: Walt Whitman
Narrated by: Astronaut Neil Armstrong, Astronaut Frank Borman, K. Anderson Yancy
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $1.58

Buy for $1.58

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A man, tiring of an astronomy lecture, takes a walk in the mystical night air to renew his sense of purpose.

Public Domain (P)2001 K. Anderson Yancy

What listeners say about When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

False Advertising

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This poem is NOT read by Neil Armstrong or Frank Borman. Their voices appear as brief NASA recordings made during their lunar missions. Obviously, had the the poem actually been read by the two astronauts, it would have been a wonderful recording.

What was most disappointing about Walt Whitman’s story?

The readers of the poem were not Armstrong and Borman. Plus, the music got to be a little tedious.

Would you be willing to try another one of the narrators’s performances?

No.

What character would you cut from When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer?

All of them.

Any additional comments?

Do not buy this recording. It is not what it is implied to be.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

do not buy

Any additional comments?

my first review and sad to say my review is negative for this audiobook. do not buy. this got to be my worst audiobook purchase to date and will try to get a refund.

bad narration, bad music background, in short bad everything!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

GREAT IDEA !

I'm not sure why poor sound quality was mentioned, one has to take into account the many years and decades that have gone by since the Space monologue, and that being from Space automatically turns the quality down a couple of notches. I loved having the historical messages from the astronauts at the beginning and end with the poem recital in the middle. The narrator was perfect and paced and did a great job. Also, liked the poignant music in the background. I liked everything about this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!