A Poet with a Slide Rule

     In 1966 Life Magazine celebrated Danish scholar Piet Hein (1905-1966) in an article (found here, p. 55...) by Jim Hicks entitled "Piet Hein;  Denmark's Scientist-Poet."  The article begins with a story of Hein's proposal of a superellipse as a design for a city plaza and then goes on to share some of Hein's poetic creations -- short, witty poems that he called "grooks".

     This blog has posted grooks in the past (in May, 2010 and in August, 2017) and here are several more to enjoy.

Grooks by Piet Hein

     LAST THINGS FIRST

     Solutions to problems
          are easy to find:
     the problem's a great
          contribution.
     What's truly an art
          is to wring from your mind
     a problem to fit
          a solution.

              SMALL THINGS AND GREAT

             He that lets
             the small things bind him
             leaves the great
             undone behind him.

                        WIDE ROAD

                       To make a name for learning
                       when other roads are barred,
                       take something very easy
                       and make it very hard.

And, if you'd like like to explore, here are links to more and more grooks.