About workshops

Workshops on Neopoet are groups that meet for a certain period of time to focus on a certain aspect of poetry. Each workshop participant is asked to critique all the other poems submitted into a workshop. A workshop leader helps coordinate -- they set the agenda, give participants feedback on whether their submissions and critique are at they level expected of them, and after the workshop is over, give feedback to participants. 

To join a workshop, first find one that is of interest to you. Once you have found the right workshop (and verified that it is open -- you can find this out in the description below), you can apply to join the workshop.


Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.

Cellar Door

Status: 
Program description/goal: 

Description: The phrase 'cellar door' is purportedly the most euphonious phrase in the English language. This will be a super quicky workshop starting immediately. Just write a short poem including that phrase or variations thereof with the emphasis on pleasing sounding English.

Leaders: Jess (weirdelf) and Guy (Geezer)

Objectives: To write something pleasing to the ear, using any or all poetic tools including meter, cadence, alliteration, consonance and rhyme. Content and meaning is of little import here, nonsense is fine, we all need practice in making our works harmonious

Level of expertise: Open to all

Subject matter: Must contain the phrase 'cellar door' or variations of it.

Very Important!: Do not post your poems on this thread, post them to the stream but remember to click 'Cellar Door' in the workshop dropdown. You could put it in the title too.

Length: 
14 days
Number of participants (limit): 
100 people
Skill level: 
Date: 
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 to Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Short description: 
Make poetry sound beautiful.

Comments

I am excited to be apart of this workshop. Thanks for the invite.

do you mind if I call you DPR, or poetess or rock or do you have another name we can call you?

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

author comment

Rock is great. It's actually my nickname. Short for Roxane. Thanks very much weirdelf.

Since our poems will be posted to the Stream we can use this thread to discuss our ideas about the aurality of poetry.

Please everyone remember, when you post a poem for this workshop, near the bottom just above Save there is a dropdown box where you need to click on Cellar Door, this ensures your poem will be linked to this page.

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

author comment

any questions or discussion here and post your poem whenever you're ready.

You'll see all the poems linked to the workshop at top right of this page-

Most recent poems
>> View all poems submitted to this workshop

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

author comment

ATM, but this sounds exciting. Plz. consider me in

❤❤❤❤❤❤

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
........Robert Frost☺

Please follow me on Instagram
https://instagram.com/poetry.jo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

no doubt inspiration will follow in your wake

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

author comment

in if you'll have me

Please forgive my ignorance. This question could be silly for the such as you and othors, but I find nothing pleasing about this word. In fact the only connotations that might come up to mind with this word are cold, loneliness, fear,dread, and death to say the least.

❤❤❤❤❤❤

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
........Robert Frost☺

Please follow me on Instagram
https://instagram.com/poetry.jo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

We are only talking about the sounds of words here, not their meaning. I totally understand your feelings about the connotations, which is part of what makes it such a good choice for this exercise.

We are talking about what makes sounds in language pleasing. I could say for example "I murdered him cruelly and with pleasure" and aesthetically that might be more pleasing to the ear than "a cacaphonous overabundance of licking". Do you see where we're going here?

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

author comment

for the clarification. Got the point

❤❤❤❤❤❤

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
........Robert Frost☺

Please follow me on Instagram
https://instagram.com/poetry.jo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

in if I'm allowed

Rula--poems are allowed to be about all those things.

JTA

i give it a try

*Collaborative Poetry Workshop* American Version of Japanese Poetry ~ Renga ~ Haiku, Senyru, Tanka.

Neopoet Community

a symphony of poems on "cellar door"
I too, would like to take a seat in this orchestra, por favor

mellifluousness rocks!

Al

I'll give it a go, thanks for asking!!

Lindsay :)

your all in.

Let the discussion and submissions commence!

Rula has already made a valid point that audio aesthetics need not be pleasing by meaning or connotation.

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

author comment

check them out at
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/poems/cellar-dwellers-cellar-door-workshop
and
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/poems/demons-embrace

remember to find new submissions at the top right of this page-
Most recent poems> >> View all poems submitted to this workshop
or
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/view/25385

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

author comment

i know what a cellar door is but never had to experience or see one in my life time . can it be about any door

*Collaborative Poetry Workshop* American Version of Japanese Poetry ~ Renga ~ Haiku, Senyru, Tanka.

Neopoet Community

is cela de mor me for on ne
sound better than
grishnak mcrkg funckkrum kalga?

both are meaningless.
Are the aesthetics of language we are discussing racist? German uses more consonants than french or Italian.

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

author comment

oh so it's about the sound of the words cellar door? im deep south country.

*Collaborative Poetry Workshop* American Version of Japanese Poetry ~ Renga ~ Haiku, Senyru, Tanka.

Neopoet Community

Hello!

I wrote a cellar door poem (with that in the title) - Its published on my page thing, but not sure I have to do anything else to get it in the workshop?

Thanks!

Lindsay

near the bottom of the page you will see
Workshop
-none-
click on that and you will see
Open to new participants - Cellar Door
click on that then save and your poem will be submitted to the workshop,
ok?

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

author comment

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

author comment

I'd rather you did your own if you have a microphone and can upload to soundcloud or vocaroo or even youtube.

It's all about what they sound like

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

author comment

Let's not make Jess do all the work here! I will do a reading of my own poem, as you all should! I think
that doing your own, will put the emphasis in the right places, the way you wrote it. It can be especially important since many of us have not used punctuation in our work. Give it a try. I know that some of us older folks that are tech inept, get flustered when we attempt something like this, but it really is easy. Here I go! ~ Geezer.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

and again I would prefer you do your own readings, you are making me work hard here.

I will not comment on the auditory aesthetics. That's up to you guys. How pleasing are the poems to the ear? How appropriate is that?
Are vowels nicer than consonants?
Is grishnak better or worse than alandriel?
Is racism involved?
I'll do the physical work for you but you have to discuss what is good or bad/right or wrong/aesthetic or discordant in the sounds of words.

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

author comment

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

author comment

When I try and add my poem to the workshop, the drop down list for workshops available to me are "none". Is there something I need to do to change that, become eligible for the workshop?

to see the dropdown list.

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

author comment

You must be able to add your poem.
You've been just listed among the participants

❤❤❤❤❤❤

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
........Robert Frost☺

Please follow me on Instagram
https://instagram.com/poetry.jo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

still not allowing me, for whatever reason

Greg.
Have you submitted anything earlier for less than 24 h now?
If so, plz. unpublish the new submission, add to the workshop first then republish your latest piece.

❤❤❤❤❤❤

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
........Robert Frost☺

Please follow me on Instagram
https://instagram.com/poetry.jo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

ok, thanks

alliteration, assonance, consonance and onomatopoeia. Their meaning and use are critical to this workshop.

We need not confine ourselves to what is aesthetically pleasing. For example Rula pointed out early that 'cellar door' has negative connotations for her, so perhaps the use of hard consonants and short vowels as opposed soft consonants and long vowels would be more appropriate.

Onomatopoeia is a different category to the other three devices.

Does anyone have any questions or disagreements about these concepts?

ps 'cellar door' has positive connotations for me, it leads to where the wine is kept [chuckles]

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

author comment

https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/view/25385 ?

My microphone is on the fritz so it may take a couple of days to catch up on the readings. Again I request if you can do your own readings, please do so.

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

author comment

I recorded my poem, Jess. Do you have an email I can send the wav file to?

and post the link with your poem.

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

author comment

got it. thx.

Flying visit here, Like to hop in though if ok.
Cheers
Anni

Cheers
Anni

My dear friend always told me "Water the seeds of joy first"

You're in and welcome,
Anni

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

author comment

After receiving a very unpleasant pm, I think, I'll refrain, I can't bare silly drama. Have fun all.

Cheers
Anni

My dear friend always told me "Water the seeds of joy first"

who upset you?
I've just reread my PM to you, I can't see how you would find it in any way unpleasant, it was supportive and apologetic.

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

author comment

Is the entire shop going to consist of posting one's poem and critiquing other poems or should we be prepared for something else?

it was only meant to be a short one but we've had a lot of interest.

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

author comment

Is it too late to join this workshop ?

Cheers

Jayne

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” — W.B. Yeats

But it is late so post to the workshop soon and let us know on this thread when you have.
Can you do an audio to SoundCloud or Vocaroo?

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

author comment

I'd like to wind up soon.
So anyone still to post, please let us know on this thread as soon as you do.

For those who have posted and received feedback wodjarekon? Has this workshop been of value to you? Do you feel more comfortable exploring the sound of your words? Used some new tools and devices?

Also any thoughts and suggestions around how the workshop was run and requests or suggestions for future workshops.

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

author comment

Thank you Jess. This was really an opening eye workshop on words with pleasing sounds. It gives a kind of inspiration that's been lost for a while.
Highly appreciate it.

❤❤❤❤❤❤

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
........Robert Frost☺

Please follow me on Instagram
https://instagram.com/poetry.jo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

than I am a poet and I'm ok with that.

For 12 years this insanity of a democratically run poetry workshop has not just survived but grown and improved, with ups and downs and I feel incredibly honoured to have been part of it.

We are about to enter Neopoet V3.0 with 'The Lab' and the return of chat and a concurrent rise in the standard of critique. I'm really excited about it. Though wary of chat, every time I've been suspended it's been for running off my mouth in chat, but I will be teaming up with Geezer there and he keeps me a bit less immoderately insane [grins].

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

author comment

This in no way invalidates this workshop, which produced some fine euphonious works but we may have been the victim of a semantic joke or linguistic mishearing.

Cellar Door, purportedly the most euphonious phrase in the English language, sounds suspiciously like 'cela d'or', French for 'that's gold'. hmmm... eureka?

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

author comment

was always one of my favorites

JTA

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