Cadaeic Cadenza
Encyclopedia
Cadaeic Cadenza is a 1996 short story
by Mike Keith
. It is an example of constrained writing
, a book with restrictions on how it can be written. It is also one of the most prodigious examples of piphilology
, being written in "pilish
".
Cadaeic Cadenza has perhaps the harshest limitations on the exact words that can be used, but also results in uncommon sounding language. In addition to the main restriction, the author attempts to mimic portions, or entire works, of different types and pieces of literature (The Raven
, Jabberwocky
, the lyrics of Yes
, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
, Rubaiyat, Hamlet
, and Carl Sandburg
's Grass) in story, structure, and rhyme.
.
While in this example each word is the same number of letters as the next digit of pi (and ten letters for the digit 0), some sections use words of more than ten letters as a one followed by another digit:
where 11 represents two consecutive digit "1"s in pi.
Taking "A" as 1, "B" as 2, "C" as 3, etc., the name of the piece itself is based on pi, as "Cadaeic" is the first 7 digits of pi, when rounded to that number of significant digits.
C a d a e i c
3.1 4 1 5 9 3
's "The Raven
".
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Mike Keith
Mike Keith (mathematician)
Mike Keith is an American mathematician, software engineer, and author of works of constrained writing....
. It is an example of constrained writing
Constrained writing
Constrained writing is a literary technique in which the writer is bound by some condition that forbids certain things or imposes a pattern.Constraints are very common in poetry, which often requires the writer to use a particular verse form....
, a book with restrictions on how it can be written. It is also one of the most prodigious examples of piphilology
Piphilology
Piphilology comprises the creation and use of mnemonic techniques to remember a span of digits of the mathematical constant . The word is a play on Pi itself and the linguistic field of philology....
, being written in "pilish
Pilish
Pilish is a style of writing in which the lengths of consecutive words match the digits of the number . The following sentence is an example which matches the first fifteen digits of :...
".
Cadaeic Cadenza has perhaps the harshest limitations on the exact words that can be used, but also results in uncommon sounding language. In addition to the main restriction, the author attempts to mimic portions, or entire works, of different types and pieces of literature (The Raven
The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
, Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense verse poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
, the lyrics of Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, commonly known as Prufrock, is a poem by T. S. Eliot, begun in February 1910 and published in Chicago in June 1915. Described as a "drama of literary anguish," it presents a stream of consciousness in the form of a dramatic monologue, and marked the beginning of...
, Rubaiyat, Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, and Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
's Grass) in story, structure, and rhyme.
The limitations
When the number of letters in each word is written out they form the first 3835 digits of piPi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
.
| One | / | A | Poem | / | A | Raven | / | Midnights | so | dreary, | tired | and | weary, |
| 3 | . | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
While in this example each word is the same number of letters as the next digit of pi (and ten letters for the digit 0), some sections use words of more than ten letters as a one followed by another digit:
| And | fear | overcame | my | being | – | the | fear | of | "forevermore". |
| 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 11 |
where 11 represents two consecutive digit "1"s in pi.
Taking "A" as 1, "B" as 2, "C" as 3, etc., the name of the piece itself is based on pi, as "Cadaeic" is the first 7 digits of pi, when rounded to that number of significant digits.
C a d a e i c
3.1 4 1 5 9 3
Near a Raven
The first part of Cadaeic Cadenza is slightly changed from an earlier version, "Near a Raven", which was a retelling of Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's "The Raven
The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
".