Writing Science Poetry

Science poetry or scientific poetry is a specializedof science, but science nevertheless the subject
poetic genre that makes use of science as itsmatter, and there is often a greater relationship
subject. Written by scientists and nonscientists,between poetry and science than either poets
science poets are generally avid readers andand/or scientists admit. Creativity and romance
appreciators of science and "science matters."can be in both, as can the intellectual and the
Science poetry may be found in anthologies, inmathematical. Both can be aesthetic and logical. Or
collections, in science fiction magazines thatboth can be nonaesthetic and nonlogical, depending
sometimes include poetry, in other magazines andon the type of science and the type of
journals. Many science fiction magazines, includingpoetry.Science poetry takes it subject from
online magazines, such as Strange Horizons, oftenscientific measurements to scientific symbols to
publish science fiction poetry, another form oftime & space to biology to chemistry to physics
science poetry. Of course science fiction poetry isto astronomy to earth science/geology to
a somewhat different genre. Online there is themeteorology to environmental science to
Science Poetry Center for those interested incomputer science to engineering/technical science.
science poetry, and for those interested inIt may also take its subject from scientists
science fiction poetry The Science Fiction Poetrythemselves, from Brahmagypta to Einstein, from
Association. In addition, there's Science FictionGalileo to Annie Cannon. It may speak to specific
Poetry Handbook and Ultimate Science Fictiontypes of scientists in general as Goethe "True
Poetry Guide, all found online. Strange HorizonsEnough: To the Physicist" in the Ferris anthology.
has published the science fiction poetry of Joanne(Subsequent poets mentioned are also from this
Merriam, Gary Lehmann and Mike Allen.As foranthology.)Science poetry may make use of
science poetry, science or scientific poets likemany forms or any form from lyrical to narrative
science fiction poets may also publish collectionsto sonnet to dramatic monologue to free verse
of poetry in almost any stylistic format. Scienceto light verse to haiku to villanelle, from poetry
or scientific poets, like other poets, must knowfor children or adults or both, for the scientist for
the "art and craft" of poetry, and science orthe nonscientist or both. John Frederick Nims has
scientific poetry appears in all the poetic forms:written for example, "The Observatory Ode."
free verse, blank verse, metrical, rhymed,("The Universe: We'd like to understand.") There
unrhymed, abstract and concrete, ballad, dramaticare poems that rhyme, poems that don't
monologue, narrative, lyrical, etc. All the poeticrhythme. There's "concrete poetry" such as Annie
devices are in use also, from alliteration toDillard's "The Windy Planet" in which the poem in in
apostrophe to pun to irony and understatement,the shape of a planet, from "pole" to "pole," an
to every poetic diction, figures of speech andinventive poem. "Chaos Theory" even becomes
rhythm, etc. Even metaphysical scientific poetry isthe subject of poetry as in Wallace Stevens' "The
possible. In his anthology, The World Treasury ofConnoisseur of Chaos."And what of your science
Physics, Astronomy, and Mathematics, editorand/or scientific poem? Think of all the techniques
Timothy Ferris aptly includes a section entitledof poetry and all the techniques of science. What
"The Poetry of Science." Says Ferris in thepoint of view should you use? Third person? First
introduction to this section, "Science (or theperson, a dramatic monologue? Does a star
'natural philosophy' from which science evolved)speak? Or the universe itself? Does a sound
has long provided poets with raw material,wave speak? Or a micrometer? Can you
inspiring some to praise scientific ideas and otherspersonify radio astronomy?What are the main
to react against them."Such greats as Milton,themes, the rhythms? What figures of speech,
Blake, Wordsworth, Goethe either praised ormetaphors, similes, metaphor, can be derived
"excoriated" science and/or a combination of both.from science. What is your attitude toward
This continued into the twentieth century withscience and these scientific matters?Read. Revise.
such poets as Marianne Moore, T. S. Eliot,Think. Proofread. Revise again. Shall you write of
Robinson Jeffers, Robert Frost and Robertevolution, of the atom, of magnetism? Of quanta,
Hayden (e.g. "Full Moon"--"the brilliant challenger ofof the galaxies, of the speed of sound, of the
rocket experts") not to mention many of thespeed of light? Of Kepler's laws? Shall you write
lesser known poets, who nevertheless maintain aof the history of science? Of scientific news?Read
poetic response to scientific matters. Says Ferris,all the science you can.
"This is not to say that scientists should try toRead all the poetry you can.You are a poet.
emulate poets, or that poets should turnYou are a scientist.
proselytes for science....But they need each other,What have you to say of the astronomer, the
and the world needs both." Included in hiscomet, of arcturus, of star-sirls, of galaxies, of
anthology along with the best scientific prosemolecular evolution, of atomic architecture, of
essays are the poets Walt Whitman ("When I"planck time" to allude to other poetic titles.What
Heard the Learn'd Astronomer"), Gerard Manleydoes poetry say to science?
Hopkins "("I am Like a Slip of Comet..."), EmilyWhat does science say to poetry?Susan Shaw is
Dickinson ("Arcturus"), Robinson Jeffersa freelance writer and web content writer. Her
("Star-Swirls"), Richard Ryan ("Galaxy"), Jamesarticles and web content appear online.
Clerk Maxwell ("Molecular Evolution"), John UpdikeSusan Shaw is an affiliate of The Book Store
("Cosmic Gall"), Diane Ackerman ("Space Shuttle")The Science Library, (For The Science Library, put
and others.Certainly those writing scientific poetry"Science" in their search engine.
like those writing science fiction need not praise all