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Fractals
From the book MATH TALK: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two
Voices by Theoni Pappas. Copyright © 1994. Electronically
reproduced by permission of Wide World Publishing/Tetra, P.O. Box
476, San Carlos, California * tel: (415) 593-2839.
This poem in voices is meant to be read aloud. Lines on the same
horizontal are meant to be read simultaneously.
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They call us
fractals.
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They call us
monsters.
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a rather new
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We're young,
mathematical idea.
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They thought us
useless discoveries.
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freaks,
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know to the contrary.
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Now mathematicians
know to the contrary.
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Fractals are
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the geometry of
nature.
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Snowflakes,
ferns,
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trees
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clouds,
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dragons.
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You name it
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we can describe it.
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We're fractals-
geometric.
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We're fractals-
random.
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No matter how
small
details remains the same.
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No matter how
strange
we can formulate it.
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Fractals
the universe.
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Fractals
can paint
the universe.
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