Elemental Haiku: A Poetic Interpretation of the Periodic Table

Perhaps you’re a chemistry expert who can easily recall that the average adult human body is made up of seven octillion atoms (7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000—27 zeroes). Or, maybe you're an English major, with that faint memory of periodic table lessons, evoking a bit of curiosity about chemical bonding.

The truth is, most of those seven octillion atoms in your body are made up of hydrogen, and for one award-winning poet and science fiction/fantasy writer with expertise in math, computer science, astronautics, and space engineering, that’s the 'star stuff' from which haiku is crafted.

Here's a quick three-liner about the first element, the one that accounts for 75 percent of all the mass in the universe:

Meet Mary Soon Lee, a British speculative fiction author and the creator of the interactive Elemental haiku, first published online on August 4, 2017, in the Science journal.

Her masterwork consists of 118 science poems, each dedicated to an element from the periodic table, along with a final haiku for element 119 (which has not yet been synthesized). Drawing from astronomy, biology, chemistry, materials science, history, medicine, and physics, Lee starts with hydrogen and proceeds through the periodic table in order of increasing atomic number.

"I had come across science poetry by other poets," says Lee in an email, "and appreciated how it offers a unique perspective on science, one that speaks to both scientists and the general public."

"Elemental Haiku," the Book

Lee, a London native, holds degrees in mathematics and computer science from Cambridge University, as well as an MSc in astronautics and space engineering from Cranfield University. She has spent two decades in the United States. Her book, "Elemental Haiku", is available in both paperback and ebook formats from Ten Speed Press. The book includes an introduction, followed by a page for each periodic table element, each paired with a haiku and an explanatory note.

"There are some new poems," Lee shares, "including a long poem in the introduction, and several elements feature updated haiku. In some cases, both the original and updated haikus are included for an element."

Each two-page spread showcases an illustration of one of the two elements it covers. "I think the best part of having the haikus in book form is Iris Gottlieb's fantastic illustrations," Lee says with admiration.

Some Samples

Each element in the periodic table possesses a distinct energy pattern that correlates with its physical and chemical characteristics. Many of Lee's poems cleverly reference how each element behaves in nature.

Take this witty take on how sodium functions in our nervous system:

This emotionally charged tribute to lithium:

Here's a cheeky take on carbon:

And this I-rest-my-case observation on why some of us English majors barely passed chemistry:

"I was thinking of the haiku as poetry," Lee says, "a series of small tributes to the elements. I tried to distill the essence of each element into its haiku."

Classical Japanese haiku are short three-line poems that follow a 5-7-5 syllable pattern, featuring a seasonal reference and a contrast of ideas. "While I tried to stick to the 5-7-5 syllable structure," Lee says, "and while some of my haikus contain a juxtaposition of ideas, I don’t believe there’s a single seasonal reference in any of my 119 haikus!"

Which of Lee's haikus did she most enjoy writing?

Regarding her upcoming book, Lee says, "I will be content if people enjoy 'Elemental Haiku.' I’ll be even happier if the haikus deepen their appreciation for science. To me, science is one of the greatest pursuits, both for its inherent value and its vast applications."

She says that writing the haiku "felt like an odyssey, a journey through the periodic table. I liked spending time with each element in its turn."

Which brings us to element 118:

And, ultimately, to the mysterious 119:

"I find myself connecting with different elements depending on my mood," says Lee, "but I remain endlessly intrigued by element 119, the one that will kick off the next row in the periodic table, still waiting to be discovered."