Today on My Poetic Side, we take a look at the Scientist’s poetry that has just been discovered, Nikki Giovanni’s “Mars”, and Paul Muldoon’s appearance with his band.

4 Years and 3500 Volunteers Later, 200-Year-Old Notes are Decoded

The British scientist Sir Humphry Davy is best known for the scientific breakthroughs that he made during his illustrious career. However, it has now been discovered that he also hid a wealth of poetry within his scientific notebooks. The poetry, which was written in secret, was hidden amongst his notes.

A team of researchers at Lancaster University stumbled upon the poetry quite by accident and have uncovered hundreds of poems that have been unseen for over two hundred years.

Sir Humphry Davy is credited with discovering more chemical elements than any other individual in history. Yet, this poetry discovery is being described by those who found it a real insight into the type of man that he really was and offers a look into how he worked through things logically. Whilst the notebooks have faded over time, they still have a lot to offer. They nestled in amongst the chemical formulas the team of volunteers found verses sprouting up everywhere, wholly entwined with each other.

One of the people who worked on the project has hailed the discovery for challenging the connection between science and creativity.

For the last four years, a team of 3500 global volunteers have been dedicating their time to transcribing the contents of Davy’s extensive collection of notebooks. The books are over 200 years old, and it is estimated that there are as many as 11,417 pages. In the middle of critical scientific discoveries they have discovered notes that he made for himself with the names and addresses of individuals. There are also poems and sketches.

An exhibition will be held at the Royal Institution, which will be a tribute to the scientist, his lectures, manuscripts, poems, and the profound impact that he had on the scientific world.

“Going to Mars” The Nikki Giovanni Project

Nikki Giovanni, the poet, archivist and storyteller, has been profiled in the HBO TV program “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project”.

Sometimes referred to as the “poet of the Black Revolution”, a title dating back to the 1960s and the Black Power and civil rights movement, Giovanni has been a well-known name in the literary field for many years. She is the author of many books, including some for children, and she has received numerous awards and honorary degrees.

This program is the story of her accomplishments in her own words and cites her stories and poetry. It is accompanied by a jazz score and a collage of images, including historical footage and photographs.

The Art of Paul Muldoon

Fans of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon will be able to enjoy an evening of song and spoken word when the poet and his band, Rogue Oliphant, make an appearance at the Lewis Centre for the Arts in March. The band are based in New York and New Jersey and released their third studio album in 2022.