We are delighted to be joined by poet Dom Conlon who energetically discusses the science of poetry and its ability to help communicate complex information and questions about the world which surrounds us.  Dom's incredible collection of poetry This Rock, That Rock is published by Troika and features brilliant illustrations by Viviane Schwarz. Chris Riddell describes the collection as 'quite simply out of this world!'

Anyone who likes Star Trek will know that what I’m about to say is true: when it comes to science, art matters.  Whether it’s ‘enjoying’ the Data’s poetry about his cat, Spot, or watching episode after episode where the crew indulge their creative sides on the holodeck—it’s clear to see that art plays a major part in Federation life.  As it ought to.

But it isn’t just that we should all hope for a future in which we are free to enjoy art. It’s that art, and in my case poetry, can help bring about that future.

When I visit a school one of the things I can’t help but talk about is space. I love space. I’m a keen (albeit amateur) astronomer and I have even written a book which is entirely inspired by the Moon.  This Rock, That Rock.

I tell the children that though I’m supposed to talk about poetry, I’m the sort of person they can distract with a few well-placed questions. Accretion disks? The mathematics of extraterrestrial life? Is Earth flat? Did we really go to the Moon (yes)? Bring. It. On.

 My answers, however, almost always return me to poetry because it’s in the sometimes structured, always searching poetic form that I can make myself understood. And more importantly, it’s through poetry that everyone finds a way to express themselves.

Poetry has, as many of you will attest to, the reputation of being difficult. I hear this a lot... but mostly from adults. It’s hard to understand, they say. I don’t know what the poet means, they say (who cares, I reply). I don’t like poetry, they say. All these concerns and yet poetry is the tool we reach for in order to teach young children about life. It’s the form scientists sometimes use when they want to explain the beauty of their ideas. It’s certainly how I approached my part in the book Viviane Schwarz and I made together.

So what’s the science behind this?

To answer that we need to turn to... poetry.

Specifically, a poem called ‘Nothing In That Drawer’ by Ron Padgett.

I won’t print the poem here. Mostly because I don’t have to. By giving you the title I’ve also managed to tell you the entire poem. The title is repeated fourteen times to form the poem. I love using this in schools. It starts the whole ‘what is a poem?’ debate nicely but also (after lots of ‘oh no it isn’t’, ‘oh yes it is’ shouting) allows me to point out that the poem exists in the imagination of the reader. There is no complex language, no imagery you’d need a PhD in classical Greek to access. There Is Nothing In That Poem which excludes anyone from forming an opinion.

That’s because poetry is about the poet expressing themself in their own way. Using their own language. And just as we all find the type of music we like, so too can we find the type of poetry we like. The type which speaks ‘to us’.

And that’s where poetry comes into its own. It enables us to express our truth. Whether about how we feel or what we see, poetry is a tool we can all use. It’s also essential for communicating the future we want.

So here’s how it works: Stop imagining the future. Start imagining the present. Imagine it’s a present in which you speak the truth of your work using the simplest language and the minimum number of words. Imagine it’s a present in which you don’t worry whether you wrap that truth in sentences. Imagine it’s a present where the power of your words is measured in the response of your audience, an audience free to respond in their own words. Their response will be a truth you need to listen to because it will do one of two things: it will shape your poetry or it will shape your truth. Either of these will change the future.

This is what happens in the schools I visit. Sometimes that truth is personal, about how we want to live or how we feel. Sometimes it’s about understanding how the universe works. The children, once in the free and non-judgmental world of poetry, respond in beautiful and powerful ways. They can use poetry to touch the heart of a scientific principle, sometimes in surprising ways. It’s guided by two famous quotes by Einstein:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

The six-year-olds I’ve met understand poetry more instinctively than many adults. I am constantly learning from them.