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A sample poem from Poems from the Mathematically Insecure
Geometry Land
Triangles, squares, circles, those kites,
They daunt us, they flaunt us,
They use all our might,
It is here that we go on our geometry flight.
Why should I know theorems and postulates galore?
Not enough worry yet, why should they add more?
Okay, dear dear teacher let's get to the core.
ASA, SSS, AAS too,
Hypotenuse-leg, here's a story for you,
These tidbits of facts prove your triangles true.
Then there's Pythagoras, his theorem so cool,
a2 + b2 = c2, yeah that's the rule,
No problem for any, not even a fool.
What about circles, no beginning or end,
We find the circumference, to that we can tend,
Twice π times the radius and that is the end.
Or what about coverage, I mean area too,
For circles no problem, try this it will do,
πr2 is the formula, take that it's your cue.
And then there's those quads, quadrilaterals I mean,
Trapezoids and kites, they stay off the green,
While the other four linger, all on the same scene.
Parallelograms encompass the other three,
While the square sits in the middle, waiting to see,
What the rectangle or rhombus will turn out to be.
Diagonals criss-cross, they stretch out their arms,
Cutting each other in pieces of two,
For squares and for rectangles, these pieces the same,
Bisection it's called, yes that is the name.
But not so for the others, although they criss-cross,
For this I feel sorry, but that is their loss,
In leaning them sideways, this is the cost.
Hey onto those prisms, we're in space you know,
And weird things can happen as this will soon show,
When volumes are asked for, so let us go slow.
For right prisms it's easy, take the base area first,
Be patient, although for the answer you thirst,
One miscalculation, forever you're cursed.
The area obtained, it's as easy as pie,
All you need now is one thing, to find out how high,
The prism extends, reaching up to the sky.
The height now in hand, you make your first move,
You multiply carefully and stay in the groove,
Base area times height, your volume is sure,
You need fuss no longer, for you have found the cure.
Shapes, figures, and lines, in our world they abound,
What would it become, were they not around,
So pull up your head, take it out of the sand,
And accept your welcome into Geometry Land.
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