How Dr Karl discovered a world of poetry

"Poetry is a way that art reflects the real world. Some things in our manufactured universe are functional, while others are artistic - but poetry manages to marry both. The 'functionality' of poetry becomes evident when you realise you look at the world around you in a different way - so poetry functionally changes you.

When I was a kid the first serious reading I did was the Wollongong Public Library. I stumbled across the wonderful collection of Fairy Tales of the World (one for each country.) The first thing that astonished me was how so many of the fairy tales (from country to country) were very similar in some ways, and very different in other ways. The second thing was that every country had its own poems as nursery rhymes. I suddenly realised that poetry was another way of communicating through words."

In a reflection on his role as Poetry Ambassador for Poetry Month 2021, renowned scientist and author Dr Karl reflects on how he first discovered a love of poetry.

Poetry is a way that art reflects the real world. Some things in our manufactured universe are functional, while others are artistic – but poetry manages to marry both.

The 'functionality' of poetry becomes evident when you realise you look at the world around you in a different way – so poetry functionally changes you.

When I was a kid, the first serious reading I did was at the Wollongong Public Library. I stumbled across the wonderful collection of Fairy Tales of the World (one for each country.) The first thing that astonished me was how so many of the fairy tales (from country to country) were very similar in some ways, and very different in other ways. The second thing was that every country had its own poems as nursery rhymes. I suddenly realised that poetry was another way of communicating through words.