Mechanics of Solids

A cantilever beam
was once under load.
The expected behaviour
it clearly showed

The tip deflected
a small magnitude
An equation was derived
the assumptions were crude

Plane sections
remained plane
Hooke's stress
was proportional to strain

The boundary conditions
were well defined
the root didn't shift
The slope was aligned

perpendicular to the wall
At the other end
No shear and
No Moment to bend

The governing equation
had the order as four
It was ordinary
nothing more

The solution found
was real but complex
The load was involved
and also Ixx

It was a cubic function
of distance from root
The results of experiments
the theory did suit

That left everyone
happy for a while
Until FEM developed and brought
it back from exile

They computed and computed,
waited and waited
Results were same
Though the theory was dated

One thing to learn
from this small refrain
A Pen, paper,
and a little brain
are better than computers,
and cause a lot less pain.