Plastic Poetry: a Villanelle for PP
We’ve made it through poetry for plastic numbers 1-4, and now we are on to polypropylene, or PP. PP plastic is marked with a #5. This poem is a villanelle, a style of poetry crafted in 16th century France. Bonus points if you can figure out the pattern to the poem without looking it up on Google!
PP, So Strong and Tough
Polypropylene, a plastic so strong and tough
Yet flexible; it is slow to break when you bend
Plastic #5 back and forth what seems like enough
To snap it in two. But PP is strong stuff.
Not nearly as sturdy as HDPE, but in the end
It is less brittle than HDPE and almost as tough.
You can fill a PP jar with marshmallow fluff
And other foods because it won't melt when you send
It through the dishwasher to get it clean enough.
Polypropylene can stand up to some really rough
Heat; highest of the first six plastics which contend
For use in all industries; the competition is tough
To choose which plastic is best. PP is up to snuff
For anything that is hot. But be cautious, my friend
If you want your plastic cold, PP's cold range isn't enough.
What I've told you about PP is true; don't call my bluff
If you need strong plastic, this one won't pretend.
This plastic is sturdy; it is flexible and tough
PP is the best plastic for heat when it gets hot enough.
Interpretation for those who aren't that interested in old poetry forms:
PP is a strong and flexible plastic. It has a highest heat point of any of the first six plastics. PP doesn't do well with cold temperatures. It is not as strong as HDPE, but is less brittle. It is often opaque or colored with pigments. Polypropylene is marked with a number 5. Find out more by watching this video.
(Endnote: if you want a great example of a real villanelle, check out Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas.)
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