World Maths Day is right around the corner, on March 26th this year. So it makes sense for me to bring math and poetry together with a prime poem for you!
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Poetic Sundays: The Prime Poem For You
Poetry and mathematics find a unique harmony in the Prime Poem. With this poem, each line grows unpredictably yet with an underlying order, blending structure with spontaneity, offering a challenge that stretches both logic and creativity. It is a cool poetic form that flows with mathematical precision while embracing artistic freedom
The Prime Poem
A Prime Poem follows the sequence of prime numbers (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13…) in word count or syllable count per line. Since prime numbers are indivisible (except by 1 and themselves), this form creates a unique rhythm that feels structured yet unpredictable.
The Prime Poem’s Characteristics
At its most basic, the prime poem’s characteristics are that it is:
- Stanzaic: one stanza of any length, but stopping at a reasonable prime (like 11 or 13) makes sense!
- Of course, you could split it into multiple stanzas, each one using the same prime pattern, or continuing it across stanzas as you wish. Poet’s choice.
- Syllabic or Word-based: number of syllables or words per line is determined by the line number
So this is how it would look
- Line 1: 2 words or syllables
- Line 2: 3 words or syllables
- Line 3: 5 words or syllables
- Line 4: 7 words or syllables
- Line 5: 11 words or syllables
- and so on
Tips to Write a Prime Poem
- Pick a Theme – Prime numbers represent uniqueness, so topics like mystery, discovery, patterns, or the infinite work well.
- Choose Word or Syllable Structure – Word count gives a choppier rhythm, while syllables create a more natural flow.
- Let the Length Guide Meaning – (not mandatory, just guidelines; make the poem your own)
- Short lines (2, 3 words): Set the stage, introduce an idea.
- Middle lines (5, 7 words): Develop the thought.
- Longer lines (11, 13 words): Conclude with depth or expansion.
- Experiment with Line Breaks & Repetition –
- Repeating words from earlier short lines in longer lines reinforces a theme.
- Breaking a sentence across multiple prime-length lines can create surprise.
My Attempts at a Prime Poem
using word count
The Snack Attack
Cookies vanish. (2)
Who took them? (3)
No, not me, I swear! (5)
Crumbs on my face? A coincidence, really. (7)
Math says probabilities are low, but hunger wins in the end. (11)
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites
References, h/t, Further Reading
- Ode to Prime Numbers (American Scientist)
- How Poetry and Math Intersect (Smithsonian)
- The Patterns of Poetry: On the Mathematical and Poetic Value of Numbers (LitHub)
- The Poetry of Prime Numbers
- This Helen Spalding poem about Prime Numbers
- From Fibs to Fractals: exploring mathematical forms in poetry
- And this TED Talk Video
Recently
On My Blog and the Home Front
These posts made their way out into the world on my blog this past week:
- Books about Puppets: The Magic of Strings, Shadows, and Stories
- 10 Irresistible Books to Read Now (Or Soon, For Me)
- Sunday Scribblings #215: The Wonderful Wee Snam Suad for Luck
Upcoming
On My Blog & Homefront
Hope to get a couple of posts here but on the home-front, my kids are home!!
This Week’s Celebrations:
Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also!)
- Literary birthdays this week of March include: Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Muthuswami Dikshitar on March 24th; Flannery O’Connor, Linda Sue Park, Kate DiCamillo on 25th March; Erica Jong, Robert Frost, Tennessee Williams, and Viktor Frankl on the 26th of March; Julia Alvarez on March 27th; Maxim Gorky and Russell Banks on March 28; Amy Sedaris, Ranjit Hoskote on March 29th; Anna Sewell, Thi. Ka. Sivasankaran, and Tobias Hill on the 30th of March
- It is Tolkien Reading Day on March 25th
- While the 27th of March is World Theatre Day and Scribble Day, as well as Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
- Followed by National Pencil Day on March 30th
Foodie Celebrations
- It is National Chia Day, National Chip and Dip Day, National Tamale Day, and National Melba Toast Day on the 23rd of March!!!
- While March 24th is National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day and National Cocktail Day
- Followed by International Waffle Day on the 25th.
- And National Spinach Day as well as National Nougat Day on the 26th of March.
- March 27th is National Spanish Paella Day and International Whiskey Day
- While the 28th brings yumminess in the form of National Black Forest Cake Day and Eat an Eskimo Pie Day!!
- And more deliciousness with National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day on the 29th
Other Celebrations
- World Meteorological Day and National Puppy Day are observed on March 23rd.
- While the 24th is International Right to Truth Day
- It is World Retrospective Day on the 25th
- Followed by National Today is Make Up Your Own Holiday Day on March 26th. For us in our family, we are celebrating a birthday for sure! And we can always make up something else to celebrate too, though… the 26th is also Solitude Day, Epilepsy Awareness Day – Purple Day, and this year, it is also World Maths Day. Also being the last Wednesday in March, the 26th is also Manatee Appreciation Day and National Little Red Wagon Day
- The 27th is National Acoustic Soul Day
- March 28th is International Women in Music Day and Wear a Hat Day 😉
- It is World Piano Day on the 88th day of the year, that is, March 29th this year!
- March 29th is Mermaid Day and World Marbles Day.
- The 30th of March happens to be National Doctors Day, National I Am in Control Day, National Take a Walk in the Park Day, and National Virtual Vacation Day
Wrapping up my Sunday Scribblings
So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. And do let me know if you plan to celebrate any of these mentioned celebrations this coming week/month? Or if you write a few colorful poems, do share them with me!
Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon
Another fun way to write a poem! Thank you, Vidya, for these great prompts.
I like the poem. I chuckled as I am forever eating cookies. They are so good!
I love the snack attack poem. It reminds me of the poem, who stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
A lot can go into poetry as there are so many types. Looking forward to National Black Forest cake day!
I have a hard time sticking with the rules for these poetry types. Your poem looks great! I’m not familiar with the prime style of poems.
So many different days to celebrate! That is funny that there is a chia day!
Poem about food are my jam. Every time I write a poem about food it’s usually a metaphor
I had never heard about prime poems before. so cool! For now in poetry, I’m reading all of Mary Oliver’s collections, in chronological order
That snack attack poem sounds so cute and I am glad to know all the celebrations for this coming days!
Learning a new way to write a pm is so cool. I didn’t realizes theirs math day, Might say I learned something new