Poetic Representation of the Periodic Tables of the Elements: A Study of Peter Davern's From Arsenic to Zirconium
Abstract:
Peter Davern has recently published a book of poems entitled From Arsenic to Zirconium: Poems and Surprising Facts about the Elements (2020) which poetically explores and deals with all the elements in nature on the periodic table. The book artistically speaks of the physical features, history, scientific usages, some interesting biological and medical applications, funny facts and quirks of each element. Davern here merges both his scientific knowledge and poetic capability to uphold the beauty and essentiality of all the natural elements.
This paper attempts to study all those significant and distinguished features of elements and highlights how Davern applies poetic medium to help common readers in ‘recalling some of the properties of even the more well-known elements. The book is a unique collection of 93 short poems. His pithy delineation and appropriate use of words to represent all the elements on periodic table evoke even lay readers’ scientific zeal in an alluring manner. In a brief poetic manner, he portrays the elements which are decked with thought-provoking and fascinating scientific trivia, such as helium is ‘a true Big Bang article’, ‘The neutrons of beryllium were the first that e’er were “seen”, why ‘borax whips up suds 'n’ stuff’, why carbon acts as a “vital force” of life, how chlorine was weaponized as ‘in Flanders Fields did kill’ during First World War, what about arsenic causes it both a deadly poison and a cure for syphilis, how antimony which was used as medicine since Roman times, may have killed Mozart,etc. Davern’s earnest endeavour to depict all the elements through rhyme becomes effective to such extent that it indulges our love for the periodic table. This paper tries to focus on how the book comes forward to expand the library of scientific literature in a mesmerizing poetic framework.
Keywords: Periodic Table, Davern, Elements, Chemical Properties, Poetic, Scientific, Literature.
Peter Davern, a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Limerick, Ireland, has done an excellent work in representing the periodic table of the elements in a poetic layout. The book entitled From Arsenic to Zirconium: Poems and Surprising Facts about the Elements is brought out by No Starch Press in March, 2020. Though he is a man of scientific studies, well-versed in discussing the chemical properties of natural elements, he has shown a great zeal in poetry. Having possessed a poetic bend of mind, he has taken the risk for the first time in upholding scientific information and features of natural elements in poetic vehicles. Undoubtedly, he proves himself efficient enough in his purpose of conveying scientific literature. This collection consists of ‘93 short poems; one for each of the 92 elements from hydrogen to uranium on the periodic table, plus one additional poem to cover the 26 elements that follow uranium (known as the trans uranium elements. (Davern xi)
The poems are concise and pithy in structure, penetrable and dense in scientific actuality. Almost all the poems are devoid of traditional emotional faculty of poetic creation, so-called fanciful visions or any unnecessary imagery. His poems never entertain any intangible and whimsical perspectives meted out of thematic understanding. He rather wishes his readers to realize the scientific subjects in a realistic manner. His poetry exerts an appealing beauty upon the lay readers. With playful and poetic romp and exact use of appropriate words, his poems achieve a pleasing tone, colourful background, meaningful mood, scientific mentalization and pithy poetic structure which surely enable even the non-scientist readers to comprehend complex scientific concerns about the natural elements in a novel way.
The sequence of the poems follows on the basis of atomic numbers of the elements as they are placed on the periodic table, a vital tool for the modern chemists. Davern himself in the preface of the book says, ‘The running order of the poems follows the normal sequence of the elements as they appear on the periodic table, which is determined by their atomic number: hydrogen is first with atomic number 1, then helium with atomic number 2, and so on to uranium with atomic number 92. The final poem covers the trans uranium elements with atomic numbers 93 to 118.’ (Davern xi).
At the very beginning, hydrogen is dealt and hailed as ‘Rocket Man’. Being the first element on the periodic table, ‘it sits at the top’. It is the simplest of all elements. The history of the Big Bang theory asserts that it was the first element to be created during that great cosmic explosion at the very beginning of time. Before recognised as an element, it was known as a gas. It wasn’t until 1766 that English chemist Henry Cavendish (1731--1810) for the first time recognised as a distinct element in Jefferson Lab and in 1783, it was named hydrogen by famous French chemist Antoine Lavoisier (1743--1794), popularly known as the ‘father of modern chemistry’. Being a diatomic molecule, it is the lightest of all gases. In order to detect its pressure, the time-honoured laboratory test is to light it in a test tube, at which point it burns so quickly that ‘it explodes with a pop!’. It is found abundantly in the universe. It has formed approximately three quarters of the entire universe's mass. It also supplies our sun with necessary fuels as in every second on an average 600 million metric tons of hydrogen gets transformed into helium, releasing around 5 million metric tons of matter to life-sustaining energy to the Earth.
Thus, remaining ‘Most abundant by far’, the poet envisions how it plays a key role in offering energy to all. Compressed liquid hydrogen (2H2) reacts with liquid oxygen to produce an effective rocket fuel as during a take-off, a space shuttle consumes 1,500,000 L of liquid hydrogen and 500,000 L of liquid oxygen. On the basis of this technology, the modern researchers are trying to produce power emission-free cars on the roads which is yet to be materialized. Davern himself speaks of the present scenario in the following connotation:
Meanwhile, back on terra firma, researchers are trying to improve the performance of electrochemical fuel cells for general use in pollution-free, hydrogen-powered vehicles. These researchers need to overcome technological challenges in terms of fuel cell efficiency and cost, as well as the distribution and storage of hydrogen gas. Only then can hydrogen truly be considered a viable alternative to hydrocarbon fossil fuels, such as gasoline and diesel in everyday cars. (Davern 3)
In the same poem, he alludes to hydrogen bond which is relatively weak in room temperature, indicating that water molecules can be broken, but they will forever take a liquid rather than a gaseous form. In a manner, hydrogen bonds in water always provide an essential glue that allows water to always perform as our planet's life-sustaining liquid. Also, hydrogen bonds enact another life-defining role in preserving the elegant double-helix 3D structure of our DNA, and in this way, they aid in orchestrating the genetic code within each of our body’s cells. All these cosmological finding, scientific knowledge, practical comprehension and biological phenomenon have artistically been delineated in the following poetic precision that registers:
On the Table it sits at the top,
Test tube lit it explodes with a pop!
Most abundant by far,
Power’d rocket, now car?
Less its bonds water’d ne’er be a drop,
And DNA’s double helix would flop! (Davern 1)
In the next poem entitled ‘Balloon Boy’, he deals with helium. It belongs to ‘This super-cool element's a true Big Bang article’. Norman Neill Greenwood (1925--2012), an Australian-British chemist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Leeds in his innovative book Chemistry of the Elements, co-authored by Alan Earnshaw, points out this fact in the following excerpt:
At present the most widely accepted theory for the origin and evolution of the universe to its present form is the "hot big bang". It is supposed that all the matter in the universe was one contained in a primeval nucleus of immense density (~1096g cm-3) and temperature (~1032 K) which, for some reason, exploded and distributed radiation and matter uniformly throughout space..... Subsequently, the continuing expansion of the universe was such that the particle density was too low for these strong (but short-range) interactions to occur. Thus, within the time slot of about eight minutes, it has been calculated that about one-quarter of the mass of the universe was converted to helium nuclei and about three-quarters remained as hydrogen. (Greenwood & Earnshaw 1-2)
It has an ultra-low boiling point of -269°C (about 4 K). Using this property of helium, the Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853--1926) for the first-time liquefied helium on July 10, 1908 at the University of Leiden, Netherlands. Consequently, liquid helium is recognised as an effective super coolant which is necessary for superconductors to produce the powerful magnetic fields such as used in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Magnetoencephalography (MEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners for hospitals use and others. Besides, the poet speaks of ‘It's high pitched and noble’ quality as when inhaled, it makes someone's voice high pitched and squeaky because the speed of sound in its presence becomes three times faster than it is in air. In hierarchical terms, it sits at the very top of the group of noble gases on the periodic table. Generally, it is lighter than air and chemically it is unreactive. So, it is now regarded as perfect for inflating airships and acts as an ideal replacement for the combustible hydrogen. Though it is the second most abundant element in the universe, it ‘Is becoming rarer, / Still balloons fill the air’. It forms during the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium, and then it is extracted along with other gases. Though it has a high demand for its use in buoyant party balloons, the need exceeds supply and with an appalling tone, the poet says that 'global reserves of the element are currently decreasing’ (Davern 5).
Then the poet, like a careful and conscious chemist, warns the readers to ‘Just avoid its dense core, alpha particle’, which is formed owing to breaking up unstable elements such as uranium, thorium, radon and potassium during their radioactive decay into fragments. These alpha particles are highly reactive. If they somehow manage to enter inside our body, they can bring about big trouble and even cause death. His whole-hearted realization about helium gets its fine poetic expression in the following:
This super-cool element's a true Big Bang article,
It's high pitched and noble, so inertly hierarchical;
Is becoming more rare,
Still balloons fill the air,
Just avoid its dense core, alpha particle! (Davern 4)
The third element on the periodic table is lithium. In the poem named 'The Mini Power Pack', the poet dearly calls it as ‘Li’ which is ‘small and light, the soft metal with mettle!’. It is the first member of the group 1 called alkali metals. It is very soft, silvery-white metal. It is the smallest of the alkali metals. Along with hydrogen and helium, it is too originated during the great Big Bang. Though in terms of usage, it was much overlooked earlier, but in recent times, it ‘keeps much of our mobile-powered world in good fettle’. Presently, the lithium-ion batteries are proven to be compact and light. Now, they have emerged as power source for the most rechargeable, lightweight, mobile electric devices, such as MP3 players, notebooks, mobiles, tablets and laptops. It has achieved its growing popularity in its use in military and aerospace applications. It is the 31st most abundant element and ‘In the sea and the soil’, it is found at nearly 0•17 ppm in the seawater and 40 parts per million in soil. It naturally 'Floats on water and oil' owing to its lightweight. For this property of lithium, it is used to coat in Vaseline (petroleum jelly) in order to store it safely and protect from contact with oxygen and water. Then, quite interestingly, the poet like a medical practitioner, suggests that it 'Has often helped many’s the troubled mind settle', hunting its table form called lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) where lithium ion helps in stabilizing the mood for those with bipolar disorder. Davern summaries all his scientific and medical perspectives in a nutshell in the following way:
Li, small and light, the soft metal with mettle!
Keeps much of our mobile-power'd world in good fettle;
In the sea and the soil,
Floats on water and oil,
Has often helped many’s the troubled mind settle. (Davern 7)
In the next poem called ‘Gems ‘N' Springs’, at the very beginning, Davern highlights the great scientific phenomena that ‘The neutrons of beryllium were the first that e'er were "seen" by the English physicist James Chadwick (1891--1974), while bombarding a sample of it with alpha particles in 1932. The discovery opened up a new vista in nuclear science and gained him the 1935 Nobel Prize in Physics. Then Davern refers to its notable use as ‘It sparkles so in crystal gems bedecked in emerald green’ and ‘Its alloys help coiled springs to make’ exceptionally elastic and durable. It also helps in producing ‘spark-proof tools for safety’s sake’. To illustrate this, he says in his explanation:
A property of beryllium-copper alloys is that they don't spark on impact, either during metal-to-metal impact or when dropped on the ground or on other hard surfaces. This makes them perfect for making spanners, wrenches, and other hard tools used in situations where impact sparks could ignite any explosive atmospheres (atmospheres containing flammable gases, vapors, or dusts) that might occur in chemical plants and oil refineries. (Davern 12)
Then, he speaks of its adverse effects on lungs. If one is exposed to inhaling beryllium compounds in forms of dust or fumes, it results in berylliosis or a chronic beryllium disease (CBD), causing shortness to breath. Like a conscious chemist, the poet warns readers about the form of beryllium poisoning which over the time proves fatal to lungs as it is ‘so toxic’ in nature. Regarding beryllium, he registers his views in the following poetic structure:
The neutrons of beryllium were the first that e’er were "seen",
It sparkles so in crystal gems bedecked in em’rald green,
Its alloys help coil’d springs to make,
And spark-proof tools for safety’s sake.
Yet oh so toxic to the lungs, as dust or fumes I mean! (Davern 10)
The fifth element on the periodic table is boron. In the poem named ‘Suds' N' Stuff', Davern mainly speaks of its usage in our daily life. It bears both the metallic and non-metallic characteristics and so it is classified as metalloid. Interestingly, many of its compounds especially trimethyl borate ‘burn with a soft green flame.’ Then, he alludes to the wide use of borosilicate glass from cookware to lab equipment due to ‘its heat-stable claim’. It is quite different from normal glass. Acknowledging how ‘All hail to borosilicate’, he lays bare its production, usage and distinguished features in the following quote:
Pouring boiling water into a normal beaker made from silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2) causes the beaker to shatter because the glass on the inside expands faster than the glass on the outside. But adding 12 to 15 percent boric oxide (B2O3) to the silica during the manufacturing process allows the glassware to expand at the same rate throughout when heated rapidly. Therefore, the threat of thermal shock is greatly reduced, making this borosilicate glass--- better known as Pyrex glass--- the glassware of choice in laboratories the world over. (Davern 14)
Again, boron has a wide use in the industrial field. When it gets combined with nitrogen, it becomes too ‘hard and oh so rough’, forming a glazing, crystalline solid which is as hard as diamond called boron nitride (BN), popularly used as industrial abrasive due to its hardness and heat-resistant property. Another form of boron called borax can be used as laundry aid as ‘it helps soften the water by tying up calcium ions (Ca2+), thus making it easier to whip up more suds! It also stabilizes (or buffers) the water’s pH, helping to promote the chemical reactions involved in cleaning’ (Davern 14). He then refers to another popular form of boron called boric acid whose exact mechanism still remains unknown. It is generally cytotoxic to all cells. It possesses antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Though it is safe for almost all mammals, it is toxic to insects. John Emsley writes that ‘Boric acid acts as an insecticide especially for ants and cockroaches which are particularly susceptible to it, unable to detect its presence in baits such as sugar solution or cereal pellets’ (Emsley 79). Davern poetically puts all these exclusive functions and applications briefly in the following lines:
The compounds of this metalloid burn with a soft green flame,
All hail to borosilicate, its heat-stable claim to fame.
Its nitride's hard and oh so rough,
While borax whips up suds ' n’ stuff,
Its acid’s gentle on the eyes, yet insects fear its name! (Davern 13)
The next important element is carbon whom the poet realistically regards as the "vital force" of life. He envisions how carbon transforms ‘From CO2 to CHOs and back to CO2'. He indirectly mentions the action of photosynthesis process which produces breathable oxygen and edible carbohydrates (CHOs). These CHOs are the primary source of energy for the body's cells and in that process of producing energy, the CHOs react with O2 and CO2 forms which return to the atmosphere. Thus, the carbon cycle continues. In medical grounds, its PET (Positron emission tomography) ‘scans pinpoint cancers’ in the body when a small quantity of the vitamin choline, doped with radioactive carbon-11 isotope is injected into the vein. Another form of carbon called radioactive carbon-14 isotope is widely used as the method of age determination, first developed by the American chemist and Nobel laureate Williard Frank Libby (1908--1980).
The poet then brings out the sociable quality of carbon by calling it ‘Bond-friendly with its neighbours’ so that it ‘each day brings compounds new’, as ‘Carbon has the maximum number of bonding electrons’ (Sethi & Satake 74). Carbon owns a natural capability in forming bonds not only with other carbon but also with atoms of others, such as use from plastics to medicine compels the poet to loudly pronounce that ‘To carbon our world's fate is bound through gas and oil and coal, / Organic to our way of life, our true synthetic soul’(Davern 16). It can adopt variant physical forms, technically known as allotropes like nanotubes, fullerene, diamonds, graphite, thin graphene etc. Concerning its universal vitality and usage, the poet feels that such a short rhyme is insufficient to extoll it properly. His reflective mood is revealed in the following lines:
From CO2 to CHOs and back to CO2,
And so this "vital force" of life transfers from me to you.
Its PET scans pinpoint cancers,
While its “dating” undoes chancers.
Bond-friendly with its neighbours so, each day brings compounds new.
To carbon our world's fate is bound through gas and oil and coal,
Organic to our way of life, our true synthetic soul.
From nanotubes and fullerene,
To diamonds, graphite, thin graphene,
This rhyme's too short by far for all its virtues to extol. (Davern 16)
Element number 7 on the periodic table is nitrogen which makes up 78 percent of the air we breathe. Despite its abundance, it remains trapped naturally by bacteria in the soil and by living things. To cope with the essential nutritional nitrogen needs with an ever-increasing population, the industrial Haber process comes forward. Robert E. Krebs points out its production in the following quote:
Over 33 million tons of nitrogen is produced each year by liquefying air and then using fractional distillation to produce nitrogen as well as other gases in the atmosphere. During this process the air is cooled and then slowly warmed to fractional temperature points at which each specific gas in the air will "boil" off. When the temperature--- reaches -- 195•8°C, the nitrogen is boiled off and collected. (Krebs 209-210)
A remarkable fact associated with it is that a form of nitrogen called nitro-glycerine (C3H5N3O9) is explosively unstable in its liquid form. But, in 1867, the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel (1833-- 1896) discovered an inert clay support to absorb it where it becomes stable. This led to the invention of the dynamite stick, resulting in controlled explosion. Another form of nitrogen called sodium azide (NaN3), solid powder is used in the mechanism of vehicle airbags. A popular form of nitrogen called nitrous oxide is commonly known as laughing gas which had long been used as anaesthesia. Poet also says that ‘it squirts out whipped cream squiggles!’ due to its solubility in fat and water and acting as the propellant for canned whipped cream. As an ‘inert, essential mate’, nitrogen is also found in proteins, haemoglobin and DNA where a sugar-phosphate backbone with four essential nitrogenous bases-- adenine, guanine, thymine and cytosine in long sequence is seen defining the genetic blueprint for the proper functioning of each cell in our body. He highlights all these scientific facts in the following rhyme:
Oh Haber helps out Mother Earth our N2 “fix” to sate,
And dynamite explodes (controlled!) while azide bags inflate.
What's more its oxide giggles,
As it squirts out whipped cream squiggles!
In proteins, heme, and DNA-- inert, essential mate. (Davern 20)
In the next rhyme entitled ‘The Breath of Life’, he deals with oxygen which ‘bestows each breath of life’ and this gas belongs to ‘one fifth of air’. This life-sustaining element is ‘Produced through photosynthesis in plants. It is commonly found ‘in Earth's crust’. It helps ‘all fuels combust’. It forms a layer of ozone which acts as ‘A vital shield’ against the sun's ultraviolet rays. Oxygen too reveals the property of paramagnetism when it is condensed to a pale blue liquid. When it gets mixed with acetylene (C2H2), a highly flammable gas in an appropriate blend, then ‘acetylene-O2’s bright’ blue flame reaches a temperature of 3,100°C -- hot enough to melt holes ‘through solid steel’. A solid and crystalline salt called sodium chlorate (NaClO3) is used as a source of oxygen on aircraft. Then, he refers to an interesting phenomenon that ‘Sweet ozone wafts when printers whir, when rumbling thunder rolls’, i.e., a small amount of faintly sweet-smelling ozone gas from the O2 in air is produced during printer's giving off minor spark discharges and lighting storms. All these facts are penned down very beautifully in a comprehensible way through lucid language in the following lines:
O2 bestows each breath of life --- this gas, one fifth of air,
Produced through photosynthesis in plants so green and fair.
Most common atom in Earth’s crust,
Essential when all fuels combust,
A vital shield 'gainst sun’s UV – that’s ozone’s fragile layer.
O2 -- when liquid --- pours pale blue, to bridge magnetic poles.
Acetylene-O2’s bright heat through solid steel melts holes.
Should cabin pressure fade away,
CIO3 sure saves the day!
Sweet ozone wafts when printers whir, when rumbling thunder rolls. (Davern 23)
Next useful element on the periodic table is fluorine. Davern in the poem named ‘Uber-active One’, speaks of its property which is highly toxic, pale yellow gas (F2), the most reactive in nature. Yet it forms many ‘stable compounds/ Like Teflon's non-stick CF2S’. Here, he, like a conscious environmentalist and chemist, doesn't approve of one of the stable compounds called chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) to be used as refrigerant gas which involves damaging earth’s fragile ozone layer. So, he firmly announces that ‘CFCs must go!’. He recommends fluoride to use in toothpaste as it helps ‘strong teeth to make’. Then, he warns his non-scientist readers to ‘Respect HF, make no mistake!’, as hydrofluoric acid is highly dangerous which in touch can easily penetrate the skin and block the normal functions of the cells of the body, immediately triggering heart attack. Then, he reveals that fluorine is found in approximately 20 percent of all pharmaceuticals. Considering all these about fluorine, he writes:
Watch uber-active fluorine gas form stable compounds so,
Like Teflon’s nonstick CF2s, but CFCs must go!
Let fluoride help strong teeth to make,
Respect HF, make no mistake!
On “would-be drugs” watch F (so small!) new pharma-traits bestow. (Davern 26)
In the poem called ‘Up In Lights’, he mentions neon, the element 10 on the periodic table which prefers to remain ‘Aloof and unreactive’. When it is excited ‘with high voltage’, it emits its trademark vibrant red colour. It is also used to scan barcodes. Being lighter than air, it needs to be commercially produced by fractional distillation of liquid air. Though abundant in the universe, it is rare in Earth’s atmosphere at only 18 parts per million (ppm) by volume. Even the most reactive fluorine cannot entice it to react. Davern briefly carves all these in poetic language in the following:
Excite it with high voltage and its signs light up bright red,
Its “HeNe” beam scanned “bars of code”, now diodes used instead.
Distilled from (and less dense than) air,
Abundance--wise it’s oh so rare.
Aloof and interactive so, spry fluorine hangs its head! (Davern 29)
The next poem narrates sodium which is ‘silv’ry-soft’ and reacts vigorously with water producing whizzing around as it makes sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and flammable hydrogen gas. When it is excited within neon-filled street lamps, it produces bright yellow flame. Sodium ions (Na+) along with potassium ions (K+) play a significant role in happening rapid yet controlled transmission of nerve signals within just a few milliseconds. Again, it helps in maintaining the balance between the blood pressure inside the body and osmotic pressure outside the body. Regarding this John Emsley rightly writes earlier in the following quote:
Sodium's most important function is the movement of electrical impulses along nerve fibres, and this it does in conjunction with potassium, with both able to move through the cells of the nerve membrane. As these ions move, they generate a wave of electrical impulse that is equivalent to a current passing along the nerve. (Emsley 500)
Sodium metal is ‘Produced from molten table salt in Downs “electro-brew”. The poet upholds his familiarity with sodium in the following rhyme:
Watch silv’ry-soft Na whizz 'round in water to make H2,
When burned, its flame’s bright yellow, yet its lamp’s a sickly hue,
Teams up with K to fire out nerves,
Our blood’s osmotic needs it serves,
Produced from molten table salt in Downs “electro-brew”. (Davern 31)
In the poem 'The Drain Unblocker!’, he says about magnesium which in a burning state gives off 'relentless flames' like camera flash. Due to its strong and corrosion resistant property, it is alloyed with aluminium and zinc in appropriate proportions for fabricating frames of aircrafts, car bodies, bicycles etc. Its form named magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)2], easily suspended in water acts as an effective antacid treatment for indigestion and heartburn. Again, Epsom salts, made of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) can be used as a laxative to mitigate constipation. Especially, plants gravely require magnesium atoms at the centre of each chlorophyll molecule to continue photosynthesis process smoothly. The poet summaries his realization about it in fine poetic expression thus:
When e’er 'tis lit flash bangs ensue that fan relentless flames,
At times 'tis merged with “Al” and zinc to “fab” strong lightweight frames.
Its chalky milk calms windy pains,
While Epson salts help “unblock drains”!
At chlorophyll’s green beating heart, each leaf its role proclaims. (Davern 34)
Thus, throughout the entire sequence of elements on the periodic table, he makes common readers acquainted with multifaceted properties and usages of each element. Of which the most significant and memorable facts are as follows:; silicon is regarded as ‘Cyber king’(p 40); sulphur is easily recognised ‘From scent of skunk and eggs so foul to garlic’s taste and smell’(p 46); chlorine gas was weaponized during the First World War for the first time as 'This greenish-yellow pungent gas in Flanders Fields did kill’ (p 49); argon is “idle” noble gas for bonding does not care’ (p 52); titanium ‘Helps mend our buckled bodies with its implant, plate, and pin’.(p 63); vanadium is ideal ‘For DIY tools, armoured plate (and helmets!)...’ (p 65); chromium is ‘Ubiquitous in hardware tools’ (p 68); a pinch of manganese ‘in quartz gives amethyst; a trace keeps us alive’ (p 71), which helps in safeguarding cells from the harmful effects of toxic superoxide radicals (O2-); iron has a great contribution to the 'cote to haemoglobin’s role: it builds O2 in fours.’(p 74); cobalt-60 acts as ‘cancer’s foe’ (p78) in radiotherapy; copper ‘Helps “cyto c” give cells their zip, helps doorknobs kill bugs dead!’(p 84); zinc ‘Helps regulate your CO2, white blood cells kept robust./ Helps brains to process taste and smell,/ Treats dandruff, rash, and scalds as well.’( p 87); gallium is used in mobile phones and LEDs to ‘reveal its high-tech class’(p 90); arsenic is hailed as ‘king of poisons’( p 96); bromine ‘Keeps flames at bay’(p 102); rubidium ‘Helps fix the age of primal rocks,/ Its vapor sets atomic clocks’(p 108); strontium ‘glows in paints instead’(p 111); yttrium helps ‘thwart cancer’s evil schemes’(p 114); zirconium ‘clads fissile fuels so well’(p 117); niobium ‘Helps steel to withstand rust 'n’ heat,/ In rocket nozzles, hard to beat.’(p 120); molybdenum ‘Helps enzymes detox “grape and grain”.../... and “fix” N2 for man’s food chain.’(p 123); ruthenium ‘Helps showcase surgeons’ expertise, / And shields Ti pipes 'gainst salty seas ;( p 129); silver’s photogenic Ag+ helps in keeping ‘wounds bug-free 'n’ clean.’(p 138); indium’s ‘alloys help douse flame’(p 144); iodine plays a vital role ‘In hormones of the thyroid gland’(p 156); cerium’s ‘nitrate helps harsh burns to treat’(p 171); praseodymium ‘Helps magnates build strong north-south poles’(p 173); neodymium ‘helps welders safely see’(p 176); europium’s ‘telling marks on euro notes drive forgers to despair’(p 184); gadolinium ‘Helps iron work well, not rust away’(p 187); ytterbium ‘Improves the strength of stainless steel’(p 202); tungsten ‘glows(too hot!) in bulbs of light’(p 214); platinum is ‘unripe gold, too hard to melt or cast’(p 226); gold remains ‘untouched by time, soft lustrous gold retains its rich allure’(p 229); mercury ‘helps to gauge our weather’s mood...’(p 232); radium’s ‘wondrous glow belied the harm of its decay’(p 256); thorium ‘Helps TIG rods weld and arc away’(p 261); and so on.
He not only brings out their scientific acquaintance, distinct features, special usages in practical fields, but also he unravels some of their interesting and funny matters associated with their names, such as ‘Bananas pack a K-rich punch/ While potash helps grow food for lunch.’(p 54); scandium’s ‘sulfate germinates our seeds.’(p 60); copper ‘Helps “blue blood” lobsters prowl the sea,’ (p 84); cadmium ‘builds toxic’lly in kidneys, by and by’ (p 141); ‘In truth, did great Napoleon’s bright buttons turn to dust?’(p 147) regarding pure tin’s transformation cooled below 13°C to cubic form; antimony tartrate raises the enquiry: ‘Did tartrate cut short Mozart’s fame?’(p 150); thallium has ‘No taste or smell, killed rats as well! The Pale Horse fuelled their fame’ (p 235); Van Gogh applied lead’s ‘salts in paint; fair skin you’ve help'd create.’(p 238) and so on.
Thus, throughout the 93 short poems arranged according to the traditional sequence of the elements on the periodic table, Daven has poetically performed an excellent service to the scientific literature which effectively enables not only the men of science studies but also the lay readers to understand all the elements in nature along with their essential scientific characteristics and useful application in reality. His use of poetic language is crystal-clear and easy to pursue. He never decorates his poetic world with any difficult scientific terms. Overall, the compendium plays a vital role in enriching our scientific, chemical, biological knowledge. It enhances our love for all the natural elements which are delineated in a novel and alluring manner. No doubt, the book is a fine addition to scientific literature.
Works-cited: