In this Book
- Broken Symmetry
- Book
- 2006
- Published by: Wayne State University Press
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summary
Broken Symmetry is a collection drawn from the experiences of daily life and organized through the context of mathematics. Poet Jack Ridl uses remarkably clear and precise language to express a singular awareness of the world around us. Some of the poems in this volume deal with the universal human experience of loss, others discover a fresh perspective on what is easily overlooked, and many seek the goodness and joy that remain in a challenging world. Poems are grouped into chapters by mathematical themes, suggesting a commonality in these two separate worlds that is often overlooked. The straightforward language and universal subject matter make Broken Symmetry a profound collection of poetry that will appeal to readers of all backgrounds.
Table of Contents
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- Broken Symmetry
- pp. 1-2
- I. Fractals
- The History of the Pencil
- pp. 5-7
- Against Elegies
- p. 10
- Framing the Morning
- p. 13
- Learning from Old Houses
- pp. 16-17
- Last Chores of Fall
- pp. 18-19
- The Last Thing
- p. 23
- This Was My Real Life
- pp. 24-25
- Toys in the Attic
- pp. 28-29
- The Crank Collector
- pp. 31-32
- That’s Enough
- p. 33
- The Mail Carrier
- pp. 34-35
- The Materialism of Angels
- pp. 40-42
- II. Quantum Theory
- I Am Wearing Your Shirt
- pp. 44-47
- Worn Morning
- pp. 48-49
- When I Was Conceived
- pp. 50-51
- Forgetting How to Sleep
- pp. 54-55
- The Remote
- pp. 56-58
- The Ace of Spades
- p. 59
- Sorting through the Records
- pp. 60-61
- Waking Up in a Cold Sweat
- pp. 65-66
- Tabula Rasa
- pp. 69-70
- The Salt and Pepper Collector
- pp. 71-72
- The Sculptor of TV
- p. 73
- Traveling Back
- p. 75
- Selling the House
- pp. 76-77
- Still Here
- pp. 79-80
- III. Differential Equations
- On Our Dog’s Birthday
- pp. 84-85
- The Rain on the Burren
- pp. 88-91
- Walking the Creek with Dogs
- pp. 92-93
- Setting out the Puzzle Pieces
- pp. 94-95
- The Gardeners
- p. 96
- Raking Leaves with the Gods in July
- pp. 98-99
- Knowing Now You’ll Never Be a Clown
- pp. 102-103
- Repairing the House
- pp. 104-105
- Instead of Vacationing in Maine
- pp. 107-108
- The Comforting
- p. 109
- What We Do
- p. 112
- The Man Who Wanted to Change the World
- pp. 114-115
- Burying the Poems
- p. 116
- Keeping On
- p. 117
- Acknowledgments
- pp. 119-120
Additional Information
ISBN
9780814335208
Related ISBN(s)
9780814333228
MARC Record
OCLC
755620321
Pages
136
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No
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