Brodsky: The mathematics of poetry

Abstract

The article examines the use of mathematical terminology in J. Brodsky’s poetry and considers the genesis of geometric and arithmetic concepts in his oeuvre. The author suggests that, having dropped out of school at the age of fifteen and loathing the Soviet secondary school system, Brodsky did, however, absorb a plethora of formulae, concepts, and math-related images, which, in turn, revitalized his poetic vocabulary. Listing Brodsky’s typical ‘mathematical’ motifs and phrases, Artemiev focuses on images that often serve as clues, such as a parallel, a perpendicular, lines, angles, cones, squares, and other geometric shapes; each such item is supplied with several examples and a scholarly commentary. The author characterizes Brodsky’s relationship with mathematics as follows: Stopping short of understanding the subject properly, Brodsky used maths terminology frequently and with ease, if with a somewhat tenuous idea of its meaning, and made it part of his signature poetic style. Mathematics endowed his poetry with a vocabulary that made it truly stand out among predecessors and contemporaries alike.