The Old Astronomer By Sarah Williams Summary

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“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” Sarah Williams may have alluded to another matter when she articulately wrote this line of The Old Astronomer, but in the context of this line alone, it still holds truth. The night is often represented as a frightful place, full of shadows and mischief, but some, like the astronomer, can find comfort and tranquility in those dazzling lights. Living in the second story of my house, I often reach as high as I can to experience the tranquil wonders of the night.
As I stumble through my window, I feel the cool metal roof on my feet. Slowly tiptoeing across, I make it to the ledge of the second story of the roof. My hand slides across the grit of the shingles as I turn around …show more content…

There are no monsters around the corner or pollutants engulfing me because I am surrounded by air alone and I am in the presence of only the stars. The air is thin, but it’s fresh and tastes like water after a long run (simile). Once I quiet my thoughts, I can hear the ballads played by the symphonies of insects, each with his own melody, but coming together to form a greater masterpiece (metaphor). If I wait patiently enough, I might even hear the solo of a mourning bird, wishing the night away so it can dance in the sky once more (personification). Bells ringing from the church across the street overtake the melody, and the repetitive waves lull me as I redirect my focus to the …show more content…

Stars, connecting and reconnecting, endlessly forming different shapes, are the most captivating sight man has ever beheld. One star becomes a bit brighter as another approaches and asks it to dance; the two then waltz across the endless platform of the night sky with only one thing outshining them. The moon sits wistfully on her throne as she watches all the stars clinging to life, for she has no eligible partner. There are times, with many years between, that she dances with the sun, making the world dark as night, and tricking the insects to sing for them in the daylight, but the sun is now resting and the moon is left with only cheerful memories. The moon, with all her mysteries, unceasingly enchants me as she so longingly desires to be like the stars, dancing endlessly in the night. Little does she know that no star of the night could ever compliment her enchantment, as they would simply be outshined by her; only the sun, who lights the day could ever deserve the light of the moon. The magnificence of the night sky will overtakes my imagination as I picture countless stories taking place at once. Tranquility overtakes me as all of this beauty pushes out any other thoughts I

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