Adapted from other sources --
A Fibonacci is an experimental poetry form similar to haiku but based instead on the Fibonacci sequence (named after a medieval mathematician). The number of syllables in each line of the poem is the sum of the previous two lines – 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34….
The typical fib is a six-line, 20-syllable poem with a syllable count by line of 1/1/2/3/5/8. Here’s an example, composed by Gregory K Pincus, creator of the modern Fib poem –
Small,
Precise,
Poetic,
Spiraling mixture:
Math plus poetry yields the Fib.
Pincus, a Los Angeles writer, came up with Fibs while pondering a haiku-writing exercise. A confessed math geek, he sought a form that offered added precision and was intrigued by Fibonacci numbers. In nature, the sequence is evident in the spirals of nautilus shells, waves, pinecones, and sunflower seeds, to name a few. Pincus played with the number sequence for his own amusement, creating one of his favorite Fibs:
FIB TIME by Gregory K Pincus
Tell
Fibs.
What time?
Every day
Two seconds before
Clocks hit 11:24.
Pincus likes Fibs because, “The constrained form makes you very conscious of word choice.” “I don’t know that there was any other attraction other than I thought that it was a neat sequence,” says Pincus. “It was different. A seemingly odd combination of mathematical sequence and poetry that really works.” It is not difficult, he says, to come up with a 20-syllable line that fits the Fibonacci structure. The hard part is to come up with a 20-syllable line that reads well.
Fibonacci poetry is not new. It’s been around in one form or another for centuries, with works applying the numerical sequence to syllables, words, or letters. What makes Fibs remarkable is how quickly they spread, thanks to the Internet. Poet Alan Reynolds posted his take on Fibs in Fib format --
This (1)
form (1)
forces (2)
fine feelings (3)
into abstruse lines (5)
each longer longing to affix (8)
a meaning to creations made live by febrile minds (13)
and for this trick I thank both you and SlashDot. Well done.
Though if continued cumbersome. (21)
Blogger Marilyn Roberts announced a contest for knitting-related Fibs on her site with the following Fib:
FIB TO A KNIT DWEEB by Marilyn Roberts
I
spend
my days
wondering
if Lion Brand Fun Fur
will make a nice pair of undies.
Fibs are so appealing because these short, straightforward poems are that rare thing capable of crafting a bridge between the often disparate souls of art and science. It helps that the form is exceptionally easy for anyone to understand. Pincus reports that he’s received several e-mail messages from teachers reporting that Fibs are a great way to combine math and English, and to explain the Fibonacci sequence to the non-mathematically inclined.
The simplicity of the form is part of its appeal, says Tony Barnstone, poet and professor of English language and literature at Southern California’s Whittier College (home of the Whittier College Poets, named by USA Today as the least threatening college mascot in America, topping even the Mary Baldwin College Squirrels and the New York University Violets).
The phenomenon of ordinary folks, as opposed to professional poets, experimenting with poetry is widespread and timeless. As examples, Barnstone points to the oral poetry tradition in modern Greece, exemplified by the Cretan mantinades (morning songs), an oral poetry form used in music and courtship, and the popularity of tanka and hokku (haiku) in Japan.
“Perhaps one could compare the spread of the Fib to the spread of the sonnet in England after its introduction to English by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and by Thomas Wyatt, or to the sonnet sequence fad that Sir Philip Sidney began, or to the spread of renga under the influence of Basho,” says Barnstone. “In cultures such as China and Japan, poetry was central to the life of the people, and so a widespread popularity of particular verse forms was common in many periods.”
Of course, the swift rush of Internet celebrity is accompanied by an equally speedy fall into fustiness. Although they’re not even two years old, Fibs are ancient news online. But they continue popping up on sites here and there.
Pincus is one of those who continue writing them, and in fact is working on a novel that includes Fibs. He hopes that the little poems continue to proliferate. “Fibs are good clean fun, and playing with form, any form, that inspires people to write, is good,” says Pincus.
DUNK! by Gregory K Pincus
Slam!
Dunk!
Soaring . . .
I'm scoring.
Crowd keeps on roaring.
In my dreams I'm unstoppable.
