A few years ago I was contacted out of the blue by Michelle Moloney King, the founder of Beir Bua Press. She had read some of my blog posts on mathematical forms in poetry, and offered to publish them as a book. The result was From Fibs to Fractals: exploring mathematical forms in poetry, which was released in autumn 2021, with stunning cover art by Moloney King herself.

Following the closure of Beir Bua Press in 2023 the book is no longer available in print, so I am now making it freely available in downloadable form. I’ve posted the Introduction below, followed by pdf versions of each of the chapters (including an additional chapter on geometrical forms). Enjoy!

From Fibs to Fractals: Introduction.

If, as a poet, you have used rhyme or metrical patterns, written a sonnet, sestina or villanelle, or experimented with formal constraints, you have applied mathematical concepts in your writing. If, as a mathematician, you have sought elegance of expression and clarity of layout, or developed a simplified model as an analogy for a more complex system, you have drawn on poetic skills. Both poets and mathematicians explore the intersection of creativity and discipline.

The connections between poetry and mathematics extend across centuries and cultures. A number sequence that appears in Sanskrit prosody generations before the time of Christ inspired a poetic form in Los Angeles in 2006.  The structure of an inscription discovered in the ruins of Pompeii has echoes in present-day formally constrained poetry. Word permutations feature in the songs of mediaeval troubadours from France and in the work of experimental poets in mid-20^th century London.

Many of poetry’s standard forms incorporate mathematical elements – think of the structure of a sonnet, the rotation of end-words in a sestina, the iterations in a pantoum. This book considers some other, less familiar, ways in which mathematical forms can be applied in poetry. It explores how poets through the centuries have taken inspiration from geometrical objects; how permutations can be used to constrain or to liberate; and how contemporary poets have embedded number sequences into their writing in exciting and adventurous ways.  

The forms often include a strong visual component and lend themselves to playfulness and experimentation. In some mathematical forms the shape and structure of the poem are the poem. They become or even transcend the meaning of the poem.

There is a rich tradition of mathematical imagery in poetry (think, for example, of ‘Vivamus, mea Lesbia’ by Catullus, with its counting of kisses, or Rita Dove’s ‘Geometry’). This book, however, focuses on form rather than on content, although occasionally form and content overlap. It is not comprehensive. I have kept explanations simple, and generally avoided the use of mathematical symbols. I have also made the decision to exclude visual poetry that is not text-based. Interested readers who wish to explore more deeply are directed to the Further Reading listed at the end of each chapter. 

Mathematical poetry often goes hand in hand with experimentation. This would not be possible without small independent publishers who are willing to take risks, who encourage poets to play with language and layout, to explore new poetic structures and push the boundaries of form. We – readers, poets, mathematicians, students, teachers, artists, writers, scientists – owe them our gratitude. 

Special thanks are due to Michelle Moloney King of Beir Bua Press, who published the original edition of this book, and to Robert Frede Kenter and Moira J. Saucer of Ice Floe Press, for their encouragement and support.

Numerous poets and mathematicians, from ancient times to the present day, have inspired me with their creativity and contributed directly or indirectly to this book. To them all, my thanks.