'A love poem for lonely Prime numbers' - Harry Baker

 

Harry Baker (1992-) is a British poet and author, who became the youngest ever 'Poetry World Slam' champion in 2021. Usually slam poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel  of judges for three minutes. The themes of Harry Baker's poems range from hope, dinosaurs, self-acceptance, and math. His poems are mainly based on feelings and emotions.  'A love poem for lonely Prime numbers' of Harry Baker was translated into more than twenty languages. 'A love poem for lonely Prime numbers' deals with the love of '59' with '60' and his realizing later that only '61' is apt to whom he has to give his heart.  

Prime numbers are natural numbers greater than '1' (one) and only divisible by '1' (one) and if self. They have only two factors '1' (one) and themselves.  Thus we have 2,3,5,7, below 10 as Prime Numbers. Similarly we have 25 Prime Numebrs below 100. Our hero '59' is a prime number, who gets dressed in a fine morning, sees his appearance in the mirror and gets enthralled. On seeing '60' from across the street through the window, her dress and appearance, attracts him very much. As they belong to two different worlds, he knows very well that they are 'Star-Crossed lovers'. Moreover '60's mother who controls her doesn't allow her to talk to him. So, he gives up the idea of getting united with her.

After two months, he finds '61', when he has lost his keys of his house and his parents are away from home. When '59' reaches '61's house she lets him in. '61' has prettier eyes than '60' and an approachable smile. Moreover her mother doesn't mind when '59' and '61' stay a while.  When '59' asks '61' whether She will meet him the next day. '61' agrees and they meet and have a non-stop chatter. One day '59' tells '61' that once he had a crush towards '60'. Then, '61' who is not prone to jealousy says, "you are 59. I am '61'. When we combine we become twice of '60' what '60' can never be". Hearing this, '59', wholeheartedly says that '61' is the one he wants to give his heart to. He also says that their love is really the prime example of real love as they are 'Prime Numbers'.

In this way Personification is employed in an excellent way in this poem. Harry Baker portrays 'love', the common human relationship through mathematical figures here in this poem in an amazing way.

 

https://youtu.be/zHJmWDN8RHM

 ------Thulasidharan V