Fibonacci poetry

[Nunavuter]

A new poetic form based on the Fibonacci sequence!

 

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j29/Nunavuter/fibonacci.jpg

 

Some argue that formalism limits art.

 

I say: bullshit.

 

Strict forms can define art more pointedly. Arbitrary rules can compel artists to be concise. That's why a tightly structured pop song resonates more than a jazz riff.

 

How then a new poetic form based on the Fibonacci sequence?

 

Each line of the poem has as many syllables as its corresponding place in the Fibonacci sequence.

 

The sequence, for those who aren't familiar with it (and who isn't?), is a recursive one.

 

Start with nothing ( a good place to start) and just add upon it with integers.

 

0 leads to one

 

so you have: 0, 1

 

the addition of of zero and one is one... leading to:

 

0,1,1

 

which leads to 0,1,1,2

 

and thus to:

 

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, etc.

 

Got it?

 

As a poetic device, this produces verse that moves from haiku to prose rather rapidly.

 

I

see

the now

not the things

my father had seen

when he had thought all had been known

 

After the ninth line, you're dealing with 50-plus syllables in a stanza, which means you're writing prose.

 

Haiku to prose via mathematics.

 

More lovely is the thought that the Fibonacci sequence begins with a zero.

 

The true first line of every Fibonacci poem is silence.

 

A certain kind of nerd will appreciate this.

Edited May 30, 2006 by Nunavuter

[chaotica]

 

 

I don't think I can do this..... I couldn't even figure out how to make the bottle of alcohol

 

 

 

this is way past my league.

 

 

 

 

 

Glad you can do it

[Wandering Hermit]

The Tool song Lateralus is also based upon this mathematical rule. Once it gets to 8 it goes back down, then cycles up:

 

[1] black

[1] then

[2] white are

[3] all I see

[5] in my infancy

[8] red and yellow then came to be

[5] reaching out to me

[3] lets me see

[2] there is

[1] so

[1] much

[2] more and

[3] beckons me

[5] to look through to these

[8] infinite possibilities

[13] as below so above and beyond I imagine

[8] drawn outside the lines of reason

[5] push the envelope

[3] watch it bend

 

Some other notes on this, what I consider to be the most mathematical rock song written (from Wikipedia):

 

Some time after Lateralus was released a minor flurry of interpretive activity arose around the album. In particular, Carey told an interviewer about Keenan's remark that the time signatures of the main riff in "Lateralus" (9-8-7) also represented a step in the Fibonacci sequence (the sixteenth step, as it turns out). This led some Tool fans to suggest that the tracks on Lateralus can be listened to in spiral-like orders: 1,2,3,5,8,13,4,6,7,9,10,11,12 ("The Fibonacci Sequence"), 6,7,5,8,4,9,3,10,2,11,1,12,13 ("The Lateralus Prophecy"), or 6,7,5,8,4,9,13,1,12,2,11,3,10 ("The Holy Gift"). These arrangements are rumoured by fans to produce different storylines for the album, although the band has said nothing official on the subject.

 

 

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, etc.

 

Oops. You've made a mistake. That should be:

1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55...

 

I learned about the Fibonacci Sequence in the book "The DaVinci Code."

[GhostGirl]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 30 2006, 08:05 AM)

QUOTE 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, etc.   Oops. You've made a mistake. That should be: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55...   I learned about the Fibonacci Sequence in the book "The DaVinci Code." Me, too.

[LaFellaStrangiato]

QUOTE (Wandering Hermit @ May 30 2006, 05:00 AM)

The Tool song Lateralus is also based upon this mathematical rule. Once it gets to 8 it goes back down, then cycles up: [1] black [1] then [2] white are [3] all I see [5] in my infancy [8] red and yellow then came to be [5] reaching out to me [3] lets me see [2] there is [1] so [1] much [2] more and [3] beckons me [5] to look through to these [8] infinite possibilities [13] as below so above and beyond I imagine [8] drawn outside the lines of reason [5] push the envelope [3] watch it bend Some other notes on this, what I consider to be the most mathematical rock song written (from Wikipedia): Some time after Lateralus was released a minor flurry of interpretive activity arose around the album. In particular, Carey told an interviewer about Keenan's remark that the time signatures of the main riff in "Lateralus" (9-8-7) also represented a step in the Fibonacci sequence (the sixteenth step, as it turns out). This led some Tool fans to suggest that the tracks on Lateralus can be listened to in spiral-like orders: 1,2,3,5,8,13,4,6,7,9,10,11,12 ("The Fibonacci Sequence"), 6,7,5,8,4,9,3,10,2,11,1,12,13 ("The Lateralus Prophecy"), or 6,7,5,8,4,9,13,1,12,2,11,3,10 ("The Holy Gift"). These arrangements are rumoured by fans to produce different storylines for the album, although the band has said nothing official on the subject.

Incredible song!

 

Anyone who says TOOL isn't Prog just doesn't know what they're talking about.

[Wandering Hermit]

QUOTE (LaFellaStrangiato @ May 30 2006, 08:45 AM)

Incredible song! Anyone who says TOOL isn't Prog just doesn't know what they're talking about.

Yes, plus Tool:

 

1) Has an AMAZING, Peart-quality drummer

2) Writes deep, spiritual lyrics

3) Creates concept albums when few other bands do this any more

4) Isn't afraid to record long, epic songs (Rush, pay attention please)

5) Puts out more original CD artwork than any other band

 

[wibblet]

I learned about the Fibonacci chain in the army.

 

[Midway Hawker]

I learned about the fibonacci numbers in college, along with a lot of other really really exciting stuff that I would never use for the rest of my life...

 

Like perfect numbers (6, 28, etc..), real numbers (I took a "real number" analysis class) imaginary numbers (number that don't really exist, but they do) and number theory (now that was a great class, I got an "A"!!)

 

Man I was a geek.. Actually, not a lot has changed!

 

 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

I'm one of the few people that actually LIKED Statistics. Numbers you can use!

[gremlack]

ive had the fibonacci sequence in my calculator for months..

 

ill run it every now and then just to overflow it

 

 

error messages make me all giddy inside

[Midway Hawker]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ May 30 2006, 08:23 PM)

I'm one of the few people that actually LIKED Statistics. Numbers you can use!

Actually, I got an "A" in that also... I loved Satistics (spoken as David Letterman)...

 

[Nunavuter]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 30 2006, 09:05 AM)

QUOTE 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, etc.   Oops. You've made a mistake. That should be: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55...   I learned about the Fibonacci Sequence in the book "The DaVinci Code." oops.   I think that was actually a typo as opposed to an error in addition. I do like the use of an occilating pattern by Tool that WH highlights.   Doesn't this sequence also result in an approximation of the golden mean, such with the spiral of a conch shell?

[The Gangster of Boats]

The chambered nautilus likes Fibonacci too.

[SweataCicco]

what did everyone think of the da vinci code?

[open secret]

QUOTE (Nunavuter @ May 30 2006, 11:10 PM)

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 30 2006, 09:05 AM) QUOTE 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, etc.   Oops. You've made a mistake. That should be: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55...   I learned about the Fibonacci Sequence in the book "The DaVinci Code." oops.   I think that was actually a typo as opposed to an error in addition. I do like the use of an occilating pattern by Tool that WH highlights.   Doesn't this sequence also result in an approximation of the golden mean, such with the spiral of a conch shell? Yes, which is what I learned about it, in design skool. Besides learning how to make mystically pleasing rectangles.

[Holdyourfireal]

I thought it was as boring as watching paint dry. Great idea, bad execution.

 

Al

[Nunavuter]

I suppose the paint-drying comment was directed at the Da Vinci Code film. I've heard from a few that it was meandering and dull.

 

 

[Rush Didact]

QUOTE (Nunavuter @ May 30 2006, 07:46 AM)

More lovely is the thought that the Fibonacci sequence begins with a zero. The true first line of every Fibonacci poem is silence. A certain kind of nerd will appreciate this.

I am that certain kind of nerd! That thought is somehow very... interesting.

[Hatchetaxe&saw]

Jon Anderson's recent DVD, A Tour of the Universe has features on things Fibonacci, like The Golden Mean and the Conch shell.

[goose]

QUOTE (Holdyourfireal @ May 31 2006, 01:05 AM)

I thought it was as boring as watching paint dry. Great idea, bad execution. Al

Agreed. Never saw the film, but the book has too many problems. For example:

 

A super code breaker who doesn't notice an anagram right away? Sure...maybe, if she's way hung over or something.

 

A linguistic expert who doesn't recognize Leonardo's backword handwriting right off? Totally unbelieveable.

[goose]

QUOTE (Nunavuter @ May 30 2006, 07:46 AM)

A new poetic form based on the Fibonacci sequence! http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j29/Nunavuter/fibonacci.jpg Some argue that formalism limits art. I say: bullshit. Strict forms can define art more pointedly. Arbitrary rules can compel artists to be concise. That's why a tightly structured pop song resonates more than a jazz riff. How then a new poetic form based on the Fibonacci sequence? Each line of the poem has as many syllables as its corresponding place in the Fibonacci sequence. The sequence, for those who aren't familiar with it (and who isn't?), is a recursive one. Start with nothing ( a good place to start) and just add upon it with integers. 0 leads to one so you have: 0, 1 the addition of of zero and one is one... leading to: 0,1,1 which leads to 0,1,1,2 and thus to: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, etc. Got it? As a poetic device, this produces verse that moves from haiku to prose rather rapidly. I see the now not the things my father had seen when he had thought all had been known After the ninth line, you're dealing with 50-plus syllables in a stanza, which means you're writing prose. Haiku to prose via mathematics. More lovely is the thought that the Fibonacci sequence begins with a zero. The true first line of every Fibonacci poem is silence. A certain kind of nerd will appreciate this.

I agree with your comment regarding attention to form. This is part of the poetic challenge and attention to symmetry in rhythm adds beauty to a work. I think the development of Fibonacci structure as a poetic device is awesome.

[blonde77th]

I thought the Movie was good But this number stuff

[Nunavuter]

I

see

the now

not the things

my father had seen

when he had thought all had been known

So much to remember, hope and love yet still pregnant