Blog Post #12: Euclid Poem Explication and Commentary

Euclid, the father of geometry. What a title! Him being the father of geometry (the discoverer, the interpreter, the communicator of geometry), makes me think that "Euclid alone has looked on beauty bare" is referring to his raw interpretation and discoveries in geometry, hence the word "bare". It seems that the author of this first poem is admirative of his work and of geometry, hence the use of the word "beauty". This aligns well with the next line that warns those who talk foolishly about Euclid's geometry, taking it for granted. It seems the author is pointing out that without this beauty, the world around us full of shapes would be meaningless or would be less fulfilling. I think that the line "Fortunate, they who have heard her massive sandal set on stone" is referring to the gratitude the author feels for Euclid's contributions to geometry, having discovered it bare and then clothed it right down to the shoe. 

I find that the second, parody poem is mocking the author of the first poem because they are idolizing Euclid, while the author of the second poem suggests that there is not only one who had discovered the things he did. At least this is what I understood from the lines "Has no one else of her seen hide or hair? Nor heard her massive sandal set on stone? Nor spoken with her on the telephone?" I think that this is showing that many mathematicians have seen the beauty bare, and have come to think of geometry in different ways, proving the same things in different ways. I believe that this is why the author of the second poem asks at the end to see beauty bare once again. Asking beauty to remove her sandal (if it's not too much of a scandal) refers to anyone dare questioning the way in which Euclid dressed up his discoveries in geometry. I believe the author is asking if it is too much of a scandal to consider the evolution of other perspectives on geometry since his perspectives are so well known and clearly idolized.