Student magazine reviews 'Multilingual Neuropoetry'

I am happy to share reviews by three students from the Pi Media student magazine that were published this week in their Science&Technology section. Laura Riggall, Rachel Dumbrell and Alexander Slaughter have reviewed for you what 'Multilingual Neuropoetry' means to them. To read their reviews on the Pi Media website, please click the link here: https://uclpimedia.com/online/book-review-multilingual-neuropoetry-by-dr-jayanthiny-kangatharan

Laura’s review

Multilingual Neuropoetry is a truly unique and fascinating anthology that connects both neuroscience and poetry to give rise to ‘neuropoetry’. By delving into multiple forms of poetry that are presented as riddles that in turn convey neuroscientific phenomena, from brain structures and disorders, to emotions and senses, the reader is invited to solve each riddle and identify the concept being described. Given poems are also presented in multiple languages to further link poetry, science and language, and a translation is subsequently offered alongside an informative summary related to the subject of the poem and the answer to the riddle.

As a neuroscientist myself, the riddles were entertaining to solve, and despite many years working in the field, kept me on my toes. Multilingual Neuropoetry also allowed me to appreciate further the complexity of the brain whilst simultaneously exposing me to different languages and multiple poetic forms – of particular note was the ‘rainbow poem’ devised by Dr Kangatharan herself. Interestingly, the reader is also equipped with tools to help create their own neuropoems if they so desire. 

Undoubtedly, Multilingual Neuropoetry will be enjoyed by all, no matter what background the reader is equipped with. This innovative book has been written well to entertain all audiences, and although I hurriedly read through it from start to finish (given my incessant need to solve every riddle), readers can instead easily use the anthology as a resource for whenever they may be tempted by a riddle, to learn a little more about the brain, and to expose themselves further to the many different languages and poem forms that are found in this world.

Rachel’s review

As a neuroscientist with little experience in languages or poetry, I found Multilingual Neuropoetry an enjoyable escape. Dr Kangatharan takes us away from the day-to-day reality of neuroscience to admire the beauty and complexity of the nervous system.

Multilingual Neuropoetry opens up the intriguing secrets of the nervous system, kindling the innate fascination we have for the workings of our own bodies. For those with little background in poetry, the introduction is incredibly informative, and definitely worth referring back to. This being quite a large section of text, I did not read it in one go but used it to understand the poems that caught my eye. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the anthology in this way, as it enabled me to decode the structure of a poem and understand why different poems were appealing in different ways. The quiz element of the poems elicits an immediate and effortless engagement with the text, and certainly makes this a fun book to read. 

Any initial nervousness a reader might have about the multilingual aspects is allayed by Dr Kangatharan’s translations. The translations also provide great help to amateur linguists who still wish to explore these beautiful structures in languages they are yet unfamiliar with. 

Overall, I found this anthology both thought-provoking and entertaining. For me, it was a great book to introduce me to reading and understanding poetry and has certainly inspired me to try and read more poetry. It has also opened my eyes to seeing the artistry involved in neuroscience.

Alex’s review

Dr Kangatharan interrupts neuroscience themed poetry with riddles, written in a variety of languages, with passages discussing the structure and science of the poems. As a philosopher now studying natural sciences, Multilingual Neuropoetry proved an entertaining exercise, an exercise that will in equal measure teach, tease, and test the same brain that it takes as its subject. 

You are led through a library of neuroscientific riddles, containing an Amazon of different poetic structures. It is a unique structure, and one that opens itself to non-sequential reading, but you would do well to read the accompanying neuroscience chapter and notes to the poem of your choice.

Dr Kangatharan covers a beautiful breadth that comes out best in discussion, and for such an unconventional book, an unconventional reading might be the most appropriate; I enjoyed my own copy the most when reading with a proper neuroscientist. The astonishing array of languages means that every reader will eventually meet their match. Fortunately, the answers to the poetic riddles are provided after, if you choose to admit defeat.

In subsequent editions, while free education is provided on aspects of poetry and science, the book would be more accessible with an alleyway into the languages themselves. While some readers may be familiar with French and German, the audience can feel challenged by Ancient Greek and Mandarin among other languages. I would have loved to learn more about the creation of some of these poems and see behind Dr Kangatharan’s writing process, which I believe she will include in the next iteration of the anthology.