“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night”
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night”
- Sarah Williams (1837–1868) ,English poet and novelist.
Her second book of poetry “Twilight Hours: A Legacy of Verse” was published in late 1868 and included "The Old Astronomer" (also known as "The Old Astronomer to His Pupil"), and is widely quoted...
well...
I should say “mis-quoted”
well...
I should say “mis-quoted”
Is a Common misconception..
I too like to indulge myself in thinking it’s a quote by Galileo Galieli.
The poem is told as if an astronomer is talking.. and there isn’t a name.
Knowing the “Galileo affair” ’s story... it seems logical to me that he could have said something like this..
So I indulge myself to visualize him when I see the quote.
-- work in progress --
The Galileo affair was a sequence of events, culminating with the trial and condemnation of Galileo Galilei by the Roman Catholic Inquisition in 1633.
In 1610, Galileo published his Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger), describing the surprising discoveries that he had made with the new telescope.. With these observations he promoted the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus.
The Inquisition declared heliocentrism to be formally heretical and heliocentric books were banned.
Galileo was ordered to refrain from holding, teaching or defending heliocentric ideas.
But In 1632 (now an old man) Galileo published his Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, which implicitly defended heliocentrism...
At the end, the Roman Inquisition tried Galileo in 1633 and found him "vehemently suspect of heresy".
In 1610, Galileo published his Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger), describing the surprising discoveries that he had made with the new telescope.. With these observations he promoted the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus.
The Inquisition declared heliocentrism to be formally heretical and heliocentric books were banned.
Galileo was ordered to refrain from holding, teaching or defending heliocentric ideas.
But In 1632 (now an old man) Galileo published his Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, which implicitly defended heliocentrism...
At the end, the Roman Inquisition tried Galileo in 1633 and found him "vehemently suspect of heresy".
He was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment and kept under house arrest until his death in 1642.
So.. He did it..
He knew it was dangerous!!
but he too..
has loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.
