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Triangular Cows
| Critical Analysis #1 |
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Triangular Cows |
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Kenneth Ray Taylor Member
since 1999-11-11
Posts 139Duluth, Minnesota, USA |
Here's one of my own favorites. Triangular Cows If one hundred and fifty-three cows should float so high above the earth in space, They could in time (it's well to note) triangular formation take. Let's count each side. It's seventeen, by seventeen, by seventeen. What joy to find such symmetry! How calming, how serene. |
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| © Copyright 1999 Kenneth Ray Taylor - All Rights Reserved | |||
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poetry_kills Senior Member
since 1999-12-04
Posts 549new orleans |
Dear Kenneth, This poem is typical of your work (if anything you write can be considered typical) and (just like all the others) I love it. Keep the insanity alive!  For a comment somewhat off subject, I just want to say how I admire you for being able to write both extremely deep and meaningful works and extremely goofy and nonsensical works in the same style and manner and make both accomplish their respective goals; I'd also like to note how amazing the human intellect is that both of this poem and something like "Cult's Residual Haunting" can come from the same mind. Hope to read more of your poetry soon.Sincerely, **jerome the boy with no brain |
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jbouder Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash |
I thought this was very good ... very light ... and very imaginative. One question, though ... wouldn't a 153 cow formation of 17 x 17 x 17 form two, three-sided pyramids connected at the base (this is the only way I could get nine sides)? Let me know if my math is wrong (I did go to public school after all).  Jim "If I rest, I rust." -Martin Luther |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
Well Ken .. you got your own back (ha ha) ... I spent the best part of my evening trying to figure this out ... maths (UK with and 's') never was my best. Even with Jim's contribution it was a good while before I realised you meant two pyramids base to base .. sloowwwww. How about posting a poem instead of a maths puzzle .. lol. Oh yes btw ... it was great ... laughed a lot .Philip |
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Aegis Junior Member
since 1999-12-04
Posts 28 |
Hi Ken, Well, Ken, guess what this proves ... this proves where the cows flying over the moon actually end up .. ... in a symmetry. My Pre-Calc. and Calc. classes used to have some lame poems over the different functions, such as Y-function, X-function, integrals etc. But I have never seen a geometric poem until now. And I didn't think cows would be involved, but that only tells me what a magnificient sense of humor you have. OOTTS -- out of things to say. |
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Kenneth Ray Taylor Member
since 1999-11-11
Posts 139Duluth, Minnesota, USA |
Thanks everyone. It's interesting the different ways that you conceived of my triangle. In my conception it was a simple equalateral triangle with three sides, each seventeen cows in length, which would take 153 cows to produce. 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11+12+13+14+15+16+17=153 I wrote the poem while thinking about the story where Peter catches 153 fish at Jesus' command in John 21. The number 153 is neither rounded (like 150) or symbolic (like 144), meaning that Peter counted them! Who knows? maybe he laid them out on the shore in a perfect triangle! Mad thought, isn't it? |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
Nope .. Ken I just don't get it .. yes I can see the sequence 1 to 17 sums to 153, but I'm missing something. The way you describe it I visualise Peter laying them on the shore to form a (necessarily "two dimensional" ie not a pyramid) geometric form which you describe as an equilateral triangle. A triangle has three sides - each the poem tells us, comprised of 17 cows ...... 3 x 17 = 51 ... Put me out of my misery and tell where I'm going wrong and I promise not to write an unintelligible villanelle ever again ... Philip |
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captaincargo Member
since 1999-11-25
Posts 109Corning, N.Y. U.S.A. |
Ken, I have come to the conclusion that you are a nut. I love this poem, it reminds me of when I used to play pyramid solitaire. I wondered how you came up with the idea. After reading your post in the reply section I now understand. I'm going to download this one and MOOOve it to my permanent collection. In "The Adventures of "Bert. The Intergalactic Hero." There will now be, somewhere in there, a "Spacecow". Don't know how. That's all for now. Cap. Carg. |
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Kenneth Ray Taylor Member
since 1999-11-11
Posts 139Duluth, Minnesota, USA |
Philip, I'd better not explain my triangle, lest you really stop writing villanelles. I've been trying my hand at it, but I'm afraid that yours made such an impression that my attempts sound like cheap duplications of your work. You must keep in mind that whenever I make a triangle (whether with fish or cows) I always fill it in. Hence, 1+2+3, etc. My poem actually has a serious side. I wrote it the day after I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I took the diagnosis as a joke, so I wrote the poem as a lark. Triangles, cows, and the number seventeen all have an unusual attraction for me. These three things reoccur with frequency in my poems. Hence, this poem is sort of my trade mark. I've even written four sequels to Triangular Cows. Captain Cargo, I'm flattered both that you think I'm a nut and (even more so) that you've saved my poem. A billion years from now this poem may be all that's left of me. Every school child will recite the poem, but no one will know from whence it came. |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
Ken Thank you thank you - three, seventeen or should that be 153 times - I always forget to fill things .. my HEAD being the most frequent loser (lol). You are quite right to treat most diagnosis as a joke - that way we all stay wonderfully healthly and delightfully crazy ... Thanks again and I look forward to seeing more triangular 17 legged cows .Philip |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
I just wanted to add my two cents on this one. One trick that I think is important in writing poetry is to get away from '0' numbers -- 10,100, 1000, and that dreaded of all numbers one million. These numbers are boring and have become invisible to the majority of readers in this world. By working with the numbers a little bit, you've got a way to intrigue the reader that much more. Just an opinion, Brad |
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Kenneth Ray Taylor Member
since 1999-11-11
Posts 139Duluth, Minnesota, USA |
Brad, Thanks for the tip. I would have never thought of that, but you're right. Recently the company I work for set as a goal to save $60 million in non-value-added costs. They have just reached $50 million, and are thus giving an incentive bonus to every employee. I went home and told my wife that we had saved $50 THOUSAND. I'm an accountant, but have no head for numbers. A zero is a zero, no matter where you place it. But I still sort of like it when Lao-tse speaks of the universe as "the ten thousand things." But then again, after 3 millenia such a thing can get old. [This message has been edited by Kenneth Ray Taylor (edited 12-17-1999).] |
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Not A Poet Member Elite
since 1999-11-03
Posts 3885Oklahoma, USA |
Though symmetry serene and calming be, I hope that I shall never have to see So many cows afloat above the earth (So Kenneth please take this for what it's worth) Think not of cows so smart, but think instead Of how much flop is falling on your head. Pete [This message has been edited by Not A Poet (edited 12-17-1999).] |
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