Poetry- Physics &Science Entropy | 25 Jul 2008
Galileo Galilei
Physics professor Mike Finn, in true liberal-arts style, incorporates poetry into his physic. The poem “Galileo Galilei” was written to force his astronomy students to consider the story of the great scientist in a new way.
Once again, the Inquisition questioned me,
Are you quite certain
of what you have claimed to see?
I sweated, despite the chill.
Misunderstanding their intent, I replied,
through my lenses, I saw what I saw: spots on the sun;
valleys, mountains, and plains on the moon;
more moons circling Jupiter; the phases of Venus.
Heaven is quite a sight.
God’s creation is grander than we can possibly imagine.
Would anyone here care to see for himself?
Use the telescope lying before you on the table.
Their response was solemn and sure.
This Council will not be lectured
on that of which
we are already certain.
Let us speak plainly:
You are disturbing the people.
The truth will be what we say it is to be,
neither one word more nor one word less.
Defeated at last,
blinded by age,
broken in spirit,
I consented to their demands.
Your will be done, but, nevertheless,
Earth turns round the sun still,
no matter what you choose to believe,
or what I am forced to confess.
© Mike Finn.