Tell a Science Story Two Ways: Prose and Verse

By Susannah Buhrman-Deever

The work of a scientist involves both logic and intuition. Logic helps us understand and analyze data. Intuition gives us leaps of insight, those “Ah-ha!” moments. Both types of thinking are needed to make discoveries.

As nonfiction writers, our goal is to help our readers understand a subject. And we can tap into our readers’ intuitive and logical brains by using both poetry and prose in our work. Poetic language and rhythm help readers feel their way to an understanding of a subject. Complementary prose supports that understanding by guiding readers through the facts.

Poetry Collections

Many science and nature-themed poetry collections with prose sidebars or back matter have been published in recent years. Two examples are Joyce Sidman’s exploration of life in winter, Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold (illus. by Rick Allen, HMH 2014),  and Allan Wolf’s celebration of outer space, The Day the Universe Exploded My Head: Poems to Take You into Space and Back Again (illus. by Anna Raff, Candlewick, 2019). In each collection, the white space, language, and imagery in the poetry gives the ideas room to breathe, providing mental space for the readers to make connections. The sidebars and back matter expand the reader’s understanding with additional details.

The forms of the poetry in these collections can also help reinforce subtle themes. Joyce Sidman’s poetry collection Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow (illus. by Beth Krommes, HMH 2006) celebrates life in a meadow through riddle poems with prose “reveals.” By writing each poem as a riddle, Sidman gently reinforces the importance of closely observing the world around you. 

In my book Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse (illus. by Bert Kitchen, Candlewick, 2019), I explored different ways predators and prey use communication in their battle for survival. I chose persona, or mask, poetry where the poem is written from the point of view of its subject so that predator and prey could talk to each other directly as they do in life. By having predator and prey face off in persona poem battles, I also hoped to reinforce the idea that each animal has its own motivations and strategies that shape its behavior when interacting with others.

Two-Layer Texts and Book-Length Poems

The combination of poetry and prose is not limited to poetry collections. It can also guide readers through a complicated subject via a two-layer text. Rhythm, rhyme, and refrain can help break down facts into easy-to-remember chunks, while re-stating and re-imagining complementary prose. Older than the Stars by Karen C. Fox (illus. by Nancy Davis, Charlesbridge, 2010) uses a “This is the House that Jack Built” nursery rhyme structure to tell the story of the Big Bang, which could at first glance seem far too complicated to tackle in a book for youngsters. It works because the nursery rhyme provides memorable “headlines” that reinforce the denser prose sections on each page.

Combining poetry and prose can also help pull together separate facts into a satisfying whole. Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward (illus. by Steve Jenkins, Beach Lane, 2014) is a good example of this. A book about the myriad ways birds build nests could feel like a list of facts. By using a poem with a consistent meter as the main text throughout the book, Ward creates a feeling of cohesiveness. This concept can be carried out equally well with free verse, as seen in Dianna Hutts Aston’s An Egg Is Quiet and related titles.

As a Writing Tool

And finally, writing in poetry and prose can help us find our story. When I’m working on a prose piece, I often reach a point where I’ve collected notebooks full of facts, but I’m unsure of how to gather it all together. At these times, I’ll write a poem about my subject. This poem may never see the light of day, so I don’t worry about it being terrible. (Terrible writing is all part of the process.)

This practice wakes up my intuitive brain, helping me discover the heart of my story. Writing a poem reminds me of that gut-feeling of why I was inspired by my subject in the first place, cutting through my fact-clutter, and paring everything down to the essentials.

It also helps me discover my voice. Voice can seem ineffable, but, to paraphrase Newbery Award winner Linda Sue Park, voice boils down to a matter of word choice and punctuation (or rhythm). For me, writing a poem is a low-stress way to play around with different vocabulary and rhythms, and I’ll often uncover nuggets that guide my voice for the final prose.

Scientists rely on logic and intuition to make breakthroughs. As writers, we can play with prose and poetry to access our logical and intuitive brains and create a story that sings. Try telling your science story in both poetry and prose and see what you can discover.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A former biologist, Susannah Buhrman-Deever now writes about the natural world for young and curious readers. Her debut book, Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse (illus. by Bert Kitchen, Candlewick Studio), was named a 2019 Best Book for Children by the New York Public Library. She lives with her husband and sons outside of Rochester, NY.

ABOUT THE PRIZE

Susannah Buhrman-Deever will be awarding a signed copy of Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse.

Leave one comment below about what struck you in the post.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered NF Fest participant and you have contributed one comment below.