Reading
Karaali, G. (2014). Can zombies write mathematical poetry?
Mathematical poetry as a model for humanistic mathematics. Journal of
Mathematics and the Arts, 8(1–2), 38–45.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17513472.2014.926685
Introduction
Gizem Karaali’s (2014) article explores the deep connections between mathematics, poetry, and human creativity, arguing that mathematical poetry can serve as an ideal ambassador for humanistic mathematics—the view that mathematics is fundamentally a human, creative activity.
Karaali begins by reflecting on her personal journey with poetry and mathematics, describing how the two domains once felt separate in her life: poetry lived in her native Turkish, whereas mathematics belonged to her English academic world. Over time, however, she recognized that both mathematics and poetry share the core human traits of cognition, consciousness, and creativity.
The article then introduces the broader concept of humanistic mathematics, which includes both teaching mathematics in a way that values students’ lived experiences and viewing mathematics itself as a cultural, emotional, and creative human endeavor. Karaali recounts the history of this movement, including the Humanistic Mathematics Network and the founding of the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics.
A significant portion of the essay focuses on mathematical poetry as a powerful bridge between the mathematical world and the emotional, artistic world. Karaali describes poetry readings at mathematics conferences, examples of poems published in the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, and her own development as a writer of mathematical poetry
She also shows how integrating mathematical poetry into the classroom—through reading, writing, and discussion—can help students see mathematics differently. Students in her seminars enjoyed creating mathematical poems, which challenged stereotypes and encouraged them to engage playfully and creatively with mathematical ideas.
Karaali concludes that mathematical poetry
can help humanize mathematics for students and the general public. Since poetry
is widely recognized as a deeply human art form, pairing it with mathematics
invites more people to appreciate the creativity, emotion, and humanity
inherent in mathematical practice.
Reflection
Karaali’s article deepens our class
discussion about viewing both mathematics and art as forms of creative human
expression. She argues that mathematics is not just a technical subject but
something rooted in the most essential aspects of being human: cognition,
consciousness, and creativity. This perspective helped me rethink how
mathematics can connect with poetry and other artistic practices.
One of the first places I paused while reading was the statement: “Translation from one natural language to another of mathematical texts may be deceptively simple, but note that mathematics itself is speaking a language of its own” (p. 39). This idea highlights the deep relationship between mathematics and poetry because both are forms of language that rely on structure and pattern. In this sense, they share an identity as systems for expressing meaning. Later, Karaali writes, “My mathematics and my poetry did not play together. They spoke different languages. They were of two different worlds” (p. 40). This made me think about people who are comfortable with mathematics but do not feel confident writing poetry. It raised an interesting question for me: if mathematics is already a complete language, could it be used on its own to create a meaningful poem? The possibility of writing a poem entirely in mathematical symbols feels both challenging and exciting, and it expands my understanding of what mathematical expression could look like.
Another important moment in the article appears when Karaali observes her students creating mathematical poetry: “In the classroom as they wrote and afterwards as they read their work, I could see that my students were engaged and enthusiastic about the ongoing creative process” (p. 43). This illustrates how creativity brings together the three human ingredients she emphasizes. Students enjoyed mathematics more when they could use it as a space for expression rather than as a task where correctness is the only goal. Traditional math learning often becomes exclusive because students do not experience joy until they “master” the material, and many give up before reaching that point.
Overall, the article suggests that
humanistic mathematics can challenge traditional views of the subject and make
it more inclusive. Through creativity—and especially through mathematical
poetry—mathematics becomes a more inviting and human activity.
Question
What would happen to our relationship with
mathematics if we all began to see it, not as a gatekeeper of correctness, but
as a deeply human practice rooted in imagination, interpretation, and
creativity?
I loved reading this, especially the way you sat with the “mathematics as language” idea. The line about math already being a language really stayed with me too. It made me think less about translating math into poetry and more about what happens when we let math speak poetically on its own terms.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on students finding joy in the creative process also resonates deeply. I’ve been thinking a lot about how math becomes a gatekeeper because correctness is treated as the only visible value. When creativity enters the room, the definition of participation shifts. Suddenly, students who might not see themselves as “good at math” can still contribute meaningfully.
Your question at the end is powerful. If we stopped seeing mathematics primarily as a filter and started seeing it as a human practice, I wonder if anxiety around math would soften. Maybe we would approach it with curiosity rather than fear. At the same time, I also wonder how institutions that rely on math as a sorting mechanism would respond. Can mathematics remain a gatekeeper and become fully humanized at the same time? That tension feels worth exploring further.
Hi Lee,
ReplyDeleteI especially liked how you emphasized Karaali’s concept of mathematics and poetry as languages. The quote about the language of mathematics was also especially interesting: “Mathematics speaks a language of its own.” It reminded me of how often we forget the human factor in mathematics: what we value, what we want to prove, and how we want to express our thoughts. It reminded me how much mathematics is similar to poetry, with its structure, rhythm, and beauty.
Your question at the end is powerful. If we were to start to see mathematics not as a gatekeeper of correctness but rather as a human endeavor that is based on imagination and creativity, I think that students would feel less fear and more a sense of belonging. Rather than saying, “Am I correct?” maybe we could ask, “What else could I explore?” or “How else could this idea be expressed?” Perhaps this could change the space in mathematics classrooms from one that is based on fear to one that is based on curiosity. Perhaps this could also allow those who consider themselves “not math people” to understand that there is interpretation and metaphor and creative play in the space of mathematics, just as there is in poetry.
Thus, the idea of mathematical poetry becomes not simply a fun activity to engage in but rather a way to humanize mathematics and invite more people to the conversation.
Lovely work, everyone! This discussion reminds me of Sue Staat’s work on the discourse of kids in math class as a poetic kind of speech. Remind me to bring that to class this evening!
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