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What Learning Resources Would You Like to See On Neopoet?

I am in the process of adding all my old educational blogs back to Neopoet and writing more. I have books of poetry and literature textbooks galore, so what poetic topics would you like to learn about?
 
The goal is for Neopoet to have a dedicated Resources section that is easy to navigate, in the top menu where its easy to access and never disappears from the stream, like blogs do. This has been a goal for Neopoet that has been in the making for several years and it may soon come to fruition, so I want to help stock it full of all sorts of knowledge to help members be proactive about their poetic and literary learning. 
 
The book I shared yesterday, Kennedy's Introduction to Poetry has many chapters that might be of use in bits and pieces. The chapters and their sections are as follows, so if any of them particularly strike your interest, let me know. These are just to get the ideas flowing, also. If you have any other topic that doesn't seem covered here, just tell me:
 
Chapter Two: The Person in the Poem (chapter one is just an introduction to the textbook)
-The Poet's "I"
-Subject, Theme, and Tone, 
-Lyric and Didactic Poetry
Mask and Irony
 
Chapter Three: Words & Their Order
-The Exact Word
-Speech and Poetic Diction
-Word Order
 
Chapter Four: Connotation and Allusion
-Denotation, Connotation
-Allusion
 
Chapter Five: Imagery
-no sections
 
Chapter Six: Figures of Speech
-Why Speak Figuratively?
-Metaphor and Simile
-Other Figures
 
Chapter Seven: Symbol & Allegory
-Symbol
-Allegory
 
Chapter Eight: Sound
- Sound as Meaning
-Alliteration & Assonance
-Rhyme
- Reading Poems Aloud
 
Chapter Nine: Rhythm
-Stress
-Meter
 
Chapter Ten: Form
-Patterns of Sound & Rhythm
-Visual Patterns
-Free Verse
-Fixed Form
-Structure
 
Chapter Eleven: Myth
-Traditional Myth
-Personal Myth
-A Note on the Theory of Archetypes
 
Chapter Twelve: Evaluating Poetry (poems that "fly" & poems that "flounder")
-Imprecision
-Sentementality
-Parody
 
Chapter Thirteen: Evaluating Poetry (on knowing excellence)
 

Comments

An on site rhyming dictionary would be helpful.

I have no idea if that is feasible or not (in terms of Andrew having to code everything), but it is a great idea. If not, would links to several online rhyming dictionaries suffice, maybe with each having a synopsis of the features, user-friendliness, and the pros/cons? Would how to use the built-in thesaurus and dictionary tools on MS Word be useful as well?

Thanks so much,
Kels

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

author comment

Would this work?

(a compilation of dictionaries and more with pros and cons I just put together):

https://www.neopoet.com/swamp-witch/blog/tue-2018-01-02-2001

Kels

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

author comment

and I'm sure old rhymesters like Stan will hate the idea (no offence, Stan [giggles]) but really just a more focussed tool than either a thesaurus or a rhyming dictionary. A rhyming dictionary thesaurus.

It could only be done by computer and it sounds like a relatively simple task to me (as all of us who don't program are prone to say). You put in the meaning of the word, you put in the sound of the rhyme, it sorts through two rather large databases and hey presto! The word you are looking for.

I've suggested this idea to a few poets with some programming skills, and a few programmers with an interest in poetry. All expressed great interest and enthusiasm then... radio silence. I wonder if I've stumbled on a notion akin to something Lovecraftian; the mere act of contemplating which drives one beyond the mountains of madness.

It's a tad more complex than just those two rather large databases, of course, to be effective. A fully functional phonetic rhyming dictionary, taking in to account metric stress, hence stressed and unstressed rhymes, also known as strong and weak rhymes or male and female rhymes (don't blame me! I didn't invent the terms) also polysyllabic rhymes, doesn't exist in digital form, yet, as far as I know.

The idea of poetic programming need not seem strange. All programmers recognise the elegance of beautifully constructed code, they even use the word 'elegant'. It would require multi-dimensional databasing (no, I didn't just make that up, one of my brothers-in-law happens to be an expert in that field). Any programming poets or poetic programmers game to take it on? Beware, there by dragons here! Come on down!

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

(Keep It Simple Sweetheart)
Decide on one good free online dictionary and provide a perma-meta-link. say http://www.dictionary.com/
Decide on one good free online thesaurus and provide a perma-meta-link.say http://www.thesaurus.com/
Decide on one good free online rhyming dictionary and provide a perma-meta-link. say https://www.rhymezone.com/

Sorry about that previous post. My evil twin brother, Alex Machette, has hacked my account again.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

would be best if one could use whatever link while still in middle of writing a poem via keyboard since a lot of folks (not me) seem to compose that way. It IS doable because it's done on another site but it might be one of those things easier said than done.
BTW Jess no offense taken....I AM old lol

I might check it out and see if I can figure it out.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

The site is Allpoetry. They give new members this tool for a month without being a paying member so I no longer have it. It was really handy in that it gave options I'd never have thought of and it was a kind of pop up thing so it could be referred to while composing. They also had a synonymn (sic) option.

I'll check it out.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

Can have two or more windows of the web or any other program open at once side by side. Windows Vista and later even snap the windows in place perfectly evenly. So having any online tool (or multiple) that we desire should be a non issue, but maybe most people don't know how to use this feature or have an older computer without it?

Kelsey
PS: Jess, I suggested and made the compilation of multiple versions of all the tools with pros and cons so that people could pick what would be best for their needs. Not really a KISS moment. Things can be in-depth sometimes, sweetie, and no one else on this site would put as much effort so it's not like the site is overrun with verbose people. Just me. ;)

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

author comment

No criticism was implied.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

I'm just teasing, just like you. Hence the ;)

No worries!

Kels

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

author comment

ta

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

That is why I love the word generators I listed in the post above that is a reply to Stan. They really help with ideas. "off the cuff" or "poems from titles" were also my favorite games from chat.

Kelsey

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

author comment

I've for years thought it would be trés cool and relatively easy (all ignorami like me think programming must be easy) to build a combination thesaurus/rhyming dictionary- just put in the meaning you want and the rhyme sound you want and voilà!
Thesauri and rhyming dictionary programs abound, just some sort of app thingo for cross-referencing them?

Wodjareckon?

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

I wonder if the trouble would arise because of the typical main different between a dictionary and a thesaurus, or the main problem that arises with a thesaurus: sometimes you can't find the word you're looking for. You pull out a paper thesaurus the word you know is not the main word listed, or not listed at all with a "see ____" as a way to tell you to find it as a synonym under another listing. Or if the online thesaurus also doesn't list the word you're using/looking for.

And with a lot of thesauruses, if you're not a native speaker or an English major, it can be hard to find the right word sometimes because you don't know how the subtle differences in definitions could drastically change the meaning. The same could happen with something digital. We can't pick synonyms willy-nilly and a computer program probably would. When I search the synonyms for "lovely" one of the results is "seductive" and I can think of plenty of times when that would absolutely not be the synonym I wanted. A friend's grandma or pet is lovely. A sunset is lovely. A meal is lovely. But none of those are seductive! LOL.

It would be a very cool feature though! Maybe one day!

Kelsey

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

author comment

I've had a few meals that have seduced me in nearly every possible way...

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

it seems to me you are raising unnecessary difficulties.
If someone can't use a thesaurus they would not be able to use the rhyming dictionary thesaurus anyway.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

is that humans who have brains and can think have difficulty with it, so it is possible that a computer program (which can only do what it is told to do with a code, a code which is only as perfect as an imperfect human can make it) might not always get it right.

Kelsey

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

author comment

An automatic spell check which comes on whenever a person comes on site.....and make it one which doesn't say "ain't" is a misspell lol.

My computer already does this. Most Internet browsers should automatically do it on any website you visit, not just Neopoet.

If I type:

Hye Stan, is ain't a word?

I get a red squiggle under hye but not one under ain't. I can right-click on the red squiggled word and make changes or add that word to my personal dictionary. I use Google Chrome. What do you use?

And if your browser doesn't do this, there is an add-on called Grammarly which will do it: https://www.grammarly.com/

Kelsey

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

author comment

There's already a search function which goes straight from stream to search results. But a search which takes a person from the page which has all of a poet's works to a particular poem would enable folks to more easily find an exact poem.

My A-Z of poetry that I have grabbed from all over could do with a better presentation.
I have modified it a bit but it is a fair size to take on.
There are other things I have had fun with, Muses and groups of creatures, we just have to think and put in a good order the things that will assist with our teaching of good poetry.
A good look at modern, old, and classic, would help.
Take care just ask if you need something looked for, it was one of my jobs at one time, long ago when I use to work lol..
Yours as always Ian. xx
(Is it being sexist to leave a X at the end when writing to young ladies ??)

.
Give critique to help keep Neopoet great.
Unconditional love to you all.
"Learn to love yourself first"
Yours as always, Ian.T, Sparrow, and Yenti

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