The poem
Once upon a time there was a number Pure and round like the sun But alone very much alone
It began to reckon with itself
It divided multiplied itself It subtracted added itself And remained always alone
It stopped reckoning with itself And shut itself up in its round And sunny purity
Outside were left the fiery Traces of its reckoning
They began to chase each other through the dark To divide when they should have multiplied themselves To subtract when they should have added themselves
That's what happens in the dark
And there was no one to ask it To stop the traces And to rub them out.
why has no one commented on this poem???
what does this mean im tryin to base a dance on this!!
The Number could be replaced by a person. The poem could represent the emotions this person is feeling(confusion or trying to find oneself identity.) If your choreographing a dance to this base the second half of the poem on a number of dancers and choreograph the steps to be furious and dramatic.
There must be loads of us trying to research this poem so maybe if we all said what we know it'd be easyer! Popa did another poem 'A Conceited mistake' which is pretty much the same idea, only a mistake not a number. This whole theme and development thing could be a good idea to choreograph, like motif and deleopmint maybe? any other thoughts very welcome! xx
hey, I am also studying dance A level, completely stuck on the group choreography paper. But after thinking about this poem for hours and analysing it I have come to the following conclusions: Ideas *The poem is about the number 0 'multiplied itself, added itself, always remained alone'. *The poem is a view on life. Everyone makes mistakes and we learn from out mistakes. Things always go wrong in life they may…
Read the whole commenthey,
I am also studying dance A level, completely stuck on the group choreography paper. But after thinking about this poem for hours and analysing it I have come to the following conclusions:
Ideas
*The poem is about the number 0 'multiplied itself, added itself, always remained alone'.
*The poem is a view on life. Everyone makes mistakes and we learn from out mistakes. Things always go wrong in life they may 'chase each other through the dark' this causes confusion. The ulimate ending is that mistakes in life cannot be rubbed out; unlike a mathmatical equasion.
*The poem is an interpretation of life, in the sence of innocence and experience. The first 4 stanza's represent childhood; innocence and the final 4 stanza's represent; adulthood. Childhood appears simple, pure, natural, pastoral colourful. Our mistakes in childhood are irelevant and can always be earased. Adulthood is viewed and fiery, reckoning, dark, sinister. Adult life faces consequence questioning, and making decisions. Things always appear to go wrong, therefore mistakes in adulthood can not be rubbed out.
Themes
*Circular
*Never ending
*Innocence vs Experience
*Mathmatical equasions
*Childlike
*Pure vs sinister
*warm 'sunny' vs 'what happens in the dark'.
anyway thats about it really, if anyone has any other views please post need as many ideas as possible. hope i helped.
Good luck for all you pieces.
i am also studying dance A level and i am finding it extremely hard to find any research on the poem and the poet of forgetful number. how am i surposed to choreograph a dance baed on a poem that is impossible to find anything about !!!! any ideas
I think I'm gunna chose this poem for my exam 2!
It's really confusin! I think Megan's idea of the dark is really cool...but it could also be about relationships and how u treat other ppl...like the idea that it divides n subtracts itself but at the end of the day it remains alone...maybe its about religion ...if u stop believin in something no-one can help u...u have to help urself...and what happens when u cnt help urself!!! I mean..i don't kno how to put this in a dance but it looks good on paper!!! hehe
Emmax
I am also doing Dance and I have found for A Forgetful Number that Vasko Popa is from Serbia. The borders of the state kept changing ie the "subtracting and adding" (taking away borders and then adding them)
He was in the army.
It could be his personal view from being in the army.
When in the Army work together but end up alone.
I hope this helps but like all da questions it is hard to interoperate what da examinrs want.
I think people may have ben missing the point here, the poem is about a number, 0. If you look at the way this figure has revolutionised arithmatic and do some research you'll see how important it is. Without 0 we would have to remember a name for each individual number because we would not have 10, 20, 30...etc. Without this numbering system we would be trying to do very complicated maths using roman numerals which…
Read the whole commentI think people may have ben missing the point here, the poem is about a number, 0. If you look at the way this figure has revolutionised arithmatic and do some research you'll see how important it is. Without 0 we would have to remember a name for each individual number because we would not have 10, 20, 30...etc. Without this numbering system we would be trying to do very complicated maths using roman numerals which is far more challenging. We would consequently not be able to advance in physics, mechanics, architechture and many other things which are the staple to our modern society and technology.
Without 0 we cannot even do 2x5 because without a 0 the answer we get is 1, and if all mats turned out like this our buildings and bridges would collapse! 0 tells use exactly how many 10's are in a number and allow us to imediatly recognise its size. I didnt realise just how important it is untill i did my research.
Popa may not have literally been talking about a number, but maybe a political figure who left serbia to collapse without them.
I always think that maybe its best to take the questions at face value bacause all the exam board wants is for you to convey the poem through movement. I always find it useful to think of it as translating it into a different language, but using movement as your vocabulary.
you may think thats all a load of rubbish but it helps me! time to get in the studio!
rather than tryin to find and search for interpretations, i think you should all just look at the poem and dance out what you read. as the examiner is not going to know what your doing if your dancing out roman numerals or the breaking borders of serbia. i am doing the poem also, and as reasearch into it is scarce. so good luck!!
p.s 'i wish i had a nose :('
business
Wow, thanks for linking to my blog. I really appreciate it :). By the way, there are some great articles, I'm going to check them out. Thanks for sharing. See you soon.