Achilles and the Tortoise
In ancient times as told in rhymes
there was a hero Greek
Whose mother said, “Before you’re dead
you should go out and seek
The glorious fame that goes with your name,
my dearest son Achilles.”
So Achilles set out upon that route
and gave up his life of ease.
And he came to a place that held a race
to determine the fleetest and bravest.
And he beat them all, the short and the tall,
and was proclaimed of Greeks the greatest.
But when he was done there came a one
who asked him a simple question:
“You’ve beat all the Greeks, I did hear them speak,
but, do I dare to mention,
Your fame and your name are likely to wane
until you outrace a tortoise.”
Though this contestant-to-be (for a tortoise was he)
appeared in complete rigor mortis,
Our hero Achilles, with grace and with ease,
took up this one last challenge.
For he thought to outpace this reptile base
was a thing he could quite easily manage.
“But before we go, since I am slow,
I really should have a headstart.”
And Achilles agreed, for despite his great speed,
he really was not very street smart.
And the upshot was he lost it because
of an ancient Greek named Zeno.
That philosopher wrote (and here I quote):
“No matter how fast and no matter how slow,
It follows from logic,” (‘though this sounds idiotic,
if I'm allowed to be blunt!),
“That the race will always be won by that mother’s son
who started out in front.”
“Though this may make one giddy, it’s quite simple really
and clear to any observer:
If one runs without pause to where the other just was,
that one has now moved on further.
Since this scenario’s repeated till the race is completed,
the conclusion is thus inescapable:
Whoever's behind will never catch up, at least not enough,
and their victory was never attainable.”
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