The poem begins with an apostrophe: the speaker calls out to "Science" directly, as though it were a godly figure who might respond. Science, the speaker says, is the "true daughter of Old Time." This accusation personifies not just science but "Old Time" as well:
- Poe might have Father Time in mind here, a kind of composite mythological figure inspired by the Greek god Cronos. Father Time represents time's constant forward momentum and, accordingly, its destructive power. Everything decays and dies—and it's all Old Time's fault.
- This opening line, then, draws a parallel between how science preys on the imagination and how time destroys "all things."
As the title reveals, this poem is a sonnet. It uses the classic sonnet meter of iambic pentameter, which means that its lines each consist of five iambs (poetic feet with an unstressed-stressed beat pattern, da-DUM).
Except, the poem actually begins with a trochee (DUM-da):
Science! | true daugh-| ter of | Old Time | thou art!
This makes the opening sound particularly dramatic, as though the speaker really needs to speak to science, and right now. The third foot here is also a pyrrhic (two unstressed beats in a row) followed by a spondee (two stressed beats). This makes "Old Time" ring out with added force, reflecting its power.
In the next line, the speaker declares that science "alterest" (or alters) everything simply by looking at it with its "peering eyes." Science has a sharp, piercing gaze that sees into "all things" and in the process changes them.
This image of personified "Science" staring at the world brings to mind the scientific method. Science relies on careful, precise observation in order to reveal how the world works. And these revelations, the speaker argues, make the world seem less mysterious and magical; there's no place for dreaming or make-believe (and, ultimately, poetry).