A quiet notice V2Melody closes at midnight on , Spanish time.

Closes

A note from Richard

V2Melody will close at midnight on 20 January 2028

This site has been a retirement project in musical poetry: poems chosen with care and set to music, offered freely for as long as it felt right to keep the garden open.

The work no longer holds the place it once did in my life. I have gone as far with it as I wish to go. Like a sand mandala, it was made to be completed and then released. I am not attached to its permanence, and I do not believe any of it needs to last beyond the time it was given. The poems were already here before I arrived and began to experiment with them. They will still be here when these musical experiments, and indeed myself, have been swept away, like the sand of a mandala. Nothing has been lost.

I want a simpler end to my life, days of simple love and enjoyment with my wonderful wife of 20 years. The work of maintaining a server, the monitoring, and the residual obligations that come with keeping a site alive no longer fit that life.

From 4 November 2026 I will not be adding new poems or musical poems to the site.

The experimental music I am making now is on my Suno profile. Those pieces stay there, and are not added to this site.

Until midnight on 20 January 2028, Spanish time, everything remains available exactly as it is. That is when my VPS server contract comes to an end, and it will not be renewed. After that, the server will be switched off and the site will disappear.

The Mandala Is Finished explains this more fully.

Thank you to anyone who found a poem, a track, or a quiet moment here.

The pleasure was in the making.

Richard

Home › Glossary › Letter A

aught

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Anything at all; any part or portion; also used to mean "ought" in the sense of moral duty, as in "for aught I know" meaning "for all I know."

Detailed Definition
“Aught” meant “anything” or “everything” in older English, as in “for aught I know.” It also appeared in moral contexts as “ought,” though this usage faded. Poets used it for its ambiguity and rhythmic flexibility, especially in negative constructions (“I care for naught nor aught”). Its archaic form adds gravitas to philosophical or existential lines, questioning value, knowledge, or existence. Though confusing to modern readers, “aught” in verse signals linguistic precision and historical depth, often paired with “naught” for contrast.
Example
Example in poetry:
If aught disturbs thy rest, call out my name (meaning "anything"); Has aught been heard of the wandering knight? (asking if anything is known); Aught that I can do to ease your pain, I shall (whatever I can do); Know you aught of the stranger who came at dawn? (do you know anything); If aught goes wrong, we shall meet at the old mill (if anything happens); Aught less than victory would be defeat complete (anything less)
Additional Notes
Aught functions as both pronoun and noun, meaning "anything at all." The phrase "for aught I know" means "as far as I know" or "for all I know." Shakespeare uses it extensively, as in Hamlet's "if aught of woe or wonder." Confusingly, "aught" (anything) contrasts with "naught" (nothing), yet "ought" (moral obligation) developed from a different root entirely. In Old English, āwiht meant "anything" literally "any creature/thing." Students often confuse these homophones. In poetry, aught provides useful metrical variation for "anything" and carries a more formal, weighty tone. Note the negative constructions: "if aught there be" creates suspense about possible existence.
Also Known As
ought anything
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