“Ceaselessly, evenly,
Maria Mitchell is
Sweeping the heavens:
Sights comet’s display.
Other discoveries
Cited from formulas:
Nature expresses
True laws; hymns of praise.”
The 7 April 2020 Twitter poem provided a brief homage to Maria Mitchell, whose career included a variety of international accolades for her work as a scientist (she was the first American woman to be a professional astronomer), and whose legacy as a science educator is likewise profound.
“Ceaselessly, evenly, /
Maria Mitchell is /
Sweeping the heavens: /
Sights comet’s display…”
Maria Mitchell lived from 1818-1889; though her interests spanned many academic disciplines, astronomy was her primary field. Her family home in Nantucket included a telescope, because her father was an amateur astronomer, and her daily routine included “sweeping the skies,” using the telescope to search the heavens for observations. The double-dactyl adverb choices of “ceaselessly” and “evenly” were intended to highlight this constant dedication to her astronomical studies. Before she turned 30, Mitchell discovered a comet that was ultimately named in her honor. In the latter part of her life, Mitchell was the first person named to the faculty at the newly-founded Vassar College, where she taught for two decades.
“Other discoveries /
Cited from formulas: /
Nature expresses /
True laws; hymns of praise.”
Mitchell’s passion for science was complemented by her interest in religion and in other fields, and the last four lines here reframed one of her most famous quotes: “Every formula which expresses a law of nature is a hymn of praise to God.”
In finishing this poem, I had no shortage of quotes from which to choose! In another of her most famous writings, Mitchell addressed the creative nature inherent in the scientific process, stating: “We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry.”
The juxtaposition of her daily “sweeping” routine with the eloquent imagination inherent in Mitchell’s writing is one I find compelling, as a testament to a lifetime spent in the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and this short poem attempts to highlight that.
Chemphasis 