Poetry of the Hard Sciences
BY SHELLY BRYANT I September 19, 2009
A. Van Jordan. Quantum Lyrics. W.W. Norton & Company, 2007. 108 pages.
ISBN: 978-0-393-33312-1
Although A. Van Jordan's Quantum Lyrics contains the type of poetry I most often find in the gems produced by small independent presses, this volume was actually brought out by one of the giants in the publishing world, W. W. Norton. I love the fact that such a publishing powerhouse has picked up a volume that would be equally at home in the corners where most speculative and science fiction poetry dwells, but even more, I love the collection itself.
The poems that make up the collection mostly center around math and the hard sciences, though there are also several pieces inspired by comic book characters such as the Green Lantern and the Atom. All of these poems, whether geared towards weighty matters or the elements that on their surface are the lightest pop culture has to offer, do a nice balancing act between depth of insight and good, plain fun. Jordan's wordplay is as pleasing as his thoughts are profound.
The centerpiece of the collection, "Quantum Lyrics Montage," is made up of 23 poems that explore the inner worlds of Albert Einstein and the people close to him, especially the women in his life. The verses that comprise this section delve into Einstein's private realm, using his life's work as a series of metaphors in an attempt to imagine what might have gone on in such a brilliant mind through all the changes life brings. One of the more sentimental poems speculates about Einstein's possible response to the news of his wife Mileva's first pregnancy. It ends with the lines, "As for your news, promise me / you'll never cease being / the elegant equation of (little street urchin) / times (infinity) times the (speed of light). / Promise."
Jordan's collection is, like Einstein's equations, elegant. The breadth of style and topics covered is impressive. The "Quantum Lyrics Montage" is especially striking, giving the feeling that the reader is watching one genius consider the possible workings of the mind of another. From beginning to end, it is a pleasant, thought-provoking read.
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