Read the excerpt from "when i heard the learn'd astronomer" by walt whitman. till rising and gliding out, i wander'd off by myself, why does whitman use the words "rising and gliding" to describe the speaker's exit from the classroom? the words are intended to show the speaker's natural grace. whitman wants to compare the speaker to a dancer. these words suggest that the speaker is happy to leave. whitman uses these words to create a feeling of boredom.