Hall and Knight
or 'z + b + x = y + b + z'
When he was young his cousins used to say of Mr Knight:
'This boy will write an algebra - or looks as if he might.'
And sure enough, when Mr Knight had grown to be a man,
He purchased pen and paper and an inkpot, and began.
But he very soon discovered that he couldn't write at all,
And his heart was filled with yearnings for a certain Mr Hall;
Till, after many years of doubt, he sent his friend a card:
'Have tried to write an Algebra, but find it very hard.'
Now Mr Hall himself had tried to write a book for schools,
But suffered from a handicap: he didn't know the rules.
So when he heard from Mr Knight and understood his gist,
He answered him by telegram: 'Delighted to assist.'
So Mr Hall and Mr Knight they took a house together,
And they worked away at algebra in any kind of weather,
Determined not to give up until they had evolved
A problem so constructed that it never could be solved.
'How hard it is', said Mr Knight, 'to hide the fact from youth
That x and y are equal: it is such an obvious truth!'
'It is', said Mr Hall, 'but if we gave a b to each,
We'd put the problem well beyond our little victims' reach.
'Or are you anxious, Mr Knight, lest any boy should see
The utter superfluity of this repeated b?'
'I scarcely fear it', he replied, and scratched this grizzled head,
'But perhaps it would be safer if to b we added z.'
'A brilliant stroke!', said Hall, and added z to either side;
Then looked at his accomplice with a flush of happy pride.
And Knight, he winked at Hall (a very pardonable lapse).
And they printed off the Algebra and sold it to the chaps.
Commentary
In a somewhat lighter vein…
A hilarious poem - if poets and writers can be immortalised in verse, why not those old tormentors of many a student, Hall and Knight? Commentary is almost superfluous - suffice it to say that I loved the poem, and that ‘accomplice’ is as perfect a choice of words as any I’ve seen.
Notes
Hall and Knight’s “Higher Algebra” is surely one of the most famous (I will not speak for ‘best-loved’ <g>) mathematics textbooks of all time, second perhaps only to Euclid’s Elements in its ubiquity1. First published in 1887, it is, as far as I know, still in print (at least in India, where it is published by Deepa and Company23; I could not find a copy on any of the major book sites). The book is a bit dated today, but still well worth a look if only for its historical value.
The poem, though, more likely refers to their earlier ‘Elementary Algebra for Schools’, to which the more famous book was a sequel.
‘z’ is, of course, pronounced ‘zed’ throughout.
Biography
Couldn’t find a proper biography of Rieu online - here’re a few snippets I managed to dig up:
- He was the founder editor of the Penguin Classics
During the blitz in 1940 a Dr E V. Rieu started a new translation on the Homer’s Odyssey. This appeared in 1946 as the first Penguin Classic, and enabled those in education to pass examinations and enlightentened those who read for shear pleasure.
– http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/apm/publishing/culture/1997/keating.html
- He was a translator of some note (Homer’s ‘Odyssey’, Virgil’s ‘Ecologues’,
Apollonius of Rhodes’ ‘The Voyage of Argo’).
Patrick Kavanagh has written a poem titled “On Looking into E. V. Rieu’s Homer” - see http://www.ume.maine.edu/~npf/cat10.html
- He was a friend of the great science fiction writer Olaf Stapledon
The preface to Waking World reveals that Stapledon could accept criticism and was willing to rewrite when necessary, for he twice refers to a rejected earlier version of the book and credits five people for helping him revise it into acceptable shape: these included his wife Agnes; E.V. Rieu, a long-time friend and an editor at Methuen; and Professor L.C. Martin of Liverpool University.
– http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/7628/stapledon/bio.html
- An sf/f piece, ‘The Paint Box’ appeared in an anthology titled ‘The
Unicorn Treasury’ - see http://www.locusmag.com/index/t117.html#A9659
Links
Here’s another poem by Rieu: http://www.gulftel.com/thefacks/poem.html
And as for Messrs. Hall and Knight, I was amazed at the sheer lack of webpages devoted to them and their minor classic. Even the Britannica is uncharacteristically silent on the subject.
Here are a couple I did manage to find:
[broken link] http://www.pa.ash.org.au/canberramaths/doks/Ed_Staple's_article.html makes
an interesting read, especially if you're mathematically inclined.
(Warning - the page displays all the equations as gifs, and takes forever
to load)
[broken link] http://libweb.princeton.edu:2003/libraries/firestone/rbsc/finding_aids/mathoral/pmc38.htm
has a passing reference to an entire course at Princeton (in the 1930s)
being based on Hall and Knight.
Today’s poem forms part of the Mathematical Poetry theme, which began with
— Martin
-
Both Joyce and Wodehouse, for instance, mention it. ↩
-
http://www.vidyainfo.com/books/BookDetails.asp?cid=279&cbid=1479 ↩
-
and where it is still popular as an excellent source of problems ↩
Show 9 commentsHide comments
From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.
Frank · 10 November 2000
Oh joy!
I remember slogging over hall and knights’ elementary algebra at school in the late ’70s (how can one ever forget that experience!!!?) Minstrel, at 4 o’clock on a chill November morning,thou hast brought me, and other fellow victims of yon two gentlemen sweet poetic revenge. thou hast warmed the cockles of my heart.
frank krishner
Sonia Lynch · 24 September 2001
E.V. Rieu wrote the most wonderful children’s poetry book “Cuckoo Calling”: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 36 Essex Street London, WC, October 5 1933, 2nd Ed 1933. I want to know where I can get another copy. ‘Tony the Turtle’, ‘Portrait of a House’, ‘The Flattered Flying-Fish’, ‘The Unicorn’, ‘Hall and Knight’, etc, etc, are included. If anyone wants to know more, or can tell me where I can get a copy, e-mail me at Thanks, I’m excitedly awaiting news.
Sonia Lynch · 9 April 2002
My e-mail address has changed, just in case someone is interested in ‘Cuckoo Calling’ or other Rieu masterpieces:is where you can find me.
Fiona Anderson · 21 September 2004
Hi
It was lovely to find this. Dr Rieu was my Great Uncle - a very amusing, educated and literary man of whom I have fond memories.
His translations of Homer are well known, but perhaps not so well known are his versions of the gospels. He translated them from the “original” as far as anything is original, into modern idiomatic English. For instance the “Den of thieves” became “a Gangsters hideout” his version, which did not go down very well with the established Church at the time!!! I saw him on television being interviewed years ago, and he was extremely amusing.
Regards
Fiona Anderson
Saiyid Mustafa K · 13 January 2005
Growing up in Pakistan, I studied Hall and Knight’ s algebra textbook in high school. I also remember a friend reciting this particular poem by E.V. Rieu. Thanks for sharing it on a website.
Henry Ward · 29 July 2006
Flann O’Brien speaks of Hall and Knight in his wonderful ‘The Third Policeman’.
Jeff Cummins · 2 September 2006
Hello,
I was looking for bio on E.V. Rieu and found a site showing that you are a relation. Could you tell me what Christian denomination he was and what Church he may have attended? I was wondering if you knew of a site on the internet that had more information about him. May I ask what relation you are to him?
Thank you so very much for your time.
Jeff
Martina Drewett · 5 March 2008
Just brousing on the internet trying to find the words to E V Rieu’s The Green Train. Can you help please? Thanks.
Martina
Craig Herbertson · 6 March 2008
Your Great uncle was a wonderful translator. Gave me a lot of pleasure
Craig