Nabokov spoke of the precision of poetry and the passion of science. Both a poet and a scientist (and a chess problem composer), he had experience. When David

Nabokov spoke of the precision of poetry and the passion of science. Both a poet and a scientist (and a chess problem composer), he had experience. When David Hilbert heard that a young mathematician had left mathematics for literature, he remarked that it was a good choice, as the man had not sufficient imagination for mathematics.