Recently I found, in The Literary Nest, the mathy poem, "Functional" by retired math teacher and active poet Carol Dorf. Dorf's poem is a pantoum -- and the interplay of math terminology with repeated lines, gives us some new thoughts to think. Enjoy!
Functional by Carol Dorf
Fanatic is the word of the day.
The domain of the function is the set of inputs.
How did the programmer know in advance?
The range is the set of outputs.
The domain of the function is the set of inputs.
Where are you going little one?
The range is the set of outputs.
Some outcomes all too predictable.
Where are you going little one.
Always be prepared: keys, flashlight, acceptable ID.
Some outcomes all too predictable.
Who isn’t afraid of leaving on a jet plane?
Always be prepared: keys, flashlight, acceptable ID.
You thought you had calculated direction of change.
Who isn’t afraid of leaving on a jet plane?
It used to be a simple line, a predictable curve.
You thought you had calculated the direction of change.
How did the programmer know in advance?
It used to be a simple line, a predictable curve.
Fanatic is the word of the day.
This link leads to The Literary Nest's posting of "Functional" and a companion pantoum, also by Dorf, "Lately this obscure debate." And here is a link to a previous posting in this blog about pantoums.
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