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Every bucketholder knows there are only five ways to divide three dimensional space evenly in all directions. Heck, if it weren't for the meditative qualities of these five shapes, we'd still be stuck in that skatefish style polar thinking that harnessed the western man ruthlessly for the past few millennia. So, to celebrate the common consciousness (and Mother Nature's dear old templates), William has constructed poetry sets built on mathematics derived from these shapes. For a more scientific explanation than below click here for the paydirt.
The second poem is
built on the HEXAHEDRON (cube), whose 'personality ratio'
is 13/15. This is a quickie.
This is a cool one.
Must be if Plato associated the shape with heaven. The DODECAHEDRON
was considered
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The first
poem of the five is built on the ratios inherent in the TETRAHEDRON
(4-sided pyramid). The ratio of this shape's edge to the radius
of its circumscribing sphere is 30/49. So, put 30 syllables in the
first stanza (6 lines of 5 syllables), and 49 syllables in the second
stanza (7 lines of 7 syllables). See? I told you it was simple.
Ma Nature uses the tetrahedron's economy of strength to create such obscure
compounds as H20. Yep. Water is a tetrahedral form.
So are the amino acids in the human body. William figures "good
enough for amino acids, good enough for poetry." By creating
these poems, keep in mind you are also re-enacting the same ratios that
have been at work in nature since the beginning of Seinfeld and probably
even earlier. Plato associated this shape with the element of FIRE.
13 syllables in the first stanza (broken into three lines
of 5 syl, 3 syl, then 5 syl) then 15 syllables in the second stanza (three
lines with 5 syls each). Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is a cubic structure.
So is the poem you can make here. Cool, huh? Plato associated
this very strong and boxy structure with the element of EARTH.
Ok, we're onto the third now. This is a big fave of
mine: the 8 sided shape called the OCTAHEDRON. The personality
ratio of the octahedron is 29/41. It's a cool one, because the stanzas
break into syllables in a staggering way. First stanza is 29 syllables
over 5 lines (5,7,5,7,5). Second stanza is 41 syllables over 7 lines
(5,7,5,7,5,7,5). Isn't it striking that all these shapes' ratios
can be expressed in 5s and 7s? While there are abundant examples
of this shape in nature- especially in crystal form, but I'm a big fan
of the way it appears in mythologies... the four corners of the earth
(the square of the cross-section) and the points of heaven atop and underworld
below. Plato's association for the octahedron? Air. 
to be the embodiment of all the other solids, as well
as a damn fine capsule for interdimensional travel for Ellie Arroway in
the movie Contact. It's a twelve sided-figure, so it's
easy to compare it to our systems of time, as well. Oh. The poem.
First stanza is 14 syllables (two lines of 7 syllables) and the second
stanza is 10 syllables (two lines of 5 syllables). Knock yourself
out, bucketholders!
Last but not least is the ICOSAHEDRON.
20 sides. Plato equated this shape with the element of water.
The personality ratio for this one is 20/21. First stanza: four lines
of 5 syllables. Second stanza: three lines of 7 syllables. This
shape realizes itself frequently in nature as viruses and dungeons and
dragons dice. Coincidence? You decide.