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 D

drachm

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

A unit of weight equal to one-eighth of an ounce or approximately 1.77 grams; used in medicine and precious materials; also spelled dram.

Detailed Definition
The drachm (or dram), from Greek "drachmē," measures one-eighth ounce or about 1.77 grams. Used in apothecary weight, medicine, and precious materials, it enabled precise small-scale measurement. In poetry concerning medicine, apothecaries, or precise measurement, drachm provides authentic technical terminology. The term evokes medical practice, pharmaceutical preparation, and the precision required in healing arts. Poets employed drachms when treating medical themes, apothecary scenes, or contexts requiring minute accuracy, adding technical authenticity and connecting to traditions of medical measurement and pharmaceutical practice.
Example
Example in poetry:
In poetry about apothecaries, "three drachms of laudanum measured into the dark glass bottle" creates atmospheric period detail; Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet references poison measured in drachms, connecting precise measurement to mortality; In verse about Victorian medicine, "the doctor prescribed two drachms of tincture, warning against exceeding the dose"; Poetry exploring the apothecary's craft might describe "drachms and scruples, grains and ounces—precision between healing and harm"; Historical verse about pharmacists could reference "she measured each drachm carefully, knowing error meant death or agony"; Modern poets writing about medical history often invoke "before milligrams came drachms, before standardization came skill and prayer."
Additional Notes
The drachm (also spelled dram) appears extensively in pharmaceutical and apothecary contexts, making it essential for understanding medical poetry and Victorian literature. Students should understand apothecary weight system: 20 grains = 1 scruple, 3 scruples = 1 drachm, 8 drachms = 1 ounce. The drachm enabled precise pharmaceutical dosing in an era when small errors meant death or inefficacy. In poetry about medicine, apothecaries, poison, or healing, drachms provide authentic technical vocabulary. Shakespeare and other dramatists use pharmaceutical measurements for atmosphere and authenticity. Understanding that drachm derives from Greek "drachmē" connects it to ancient weight and currency. Students should note the drachm's continued use in pharmacy until relatively recently (mid-20th century), making it accessible in historical medical contexts. Related terms include grain, scruple, and ounce, all apothecary weights. The drachm can symbolize precision between healing and harm, scientific measurement versus mysterious potions, or the quantification of life-saving substances. For students writing about Victorian medicine, apothecary shops, or pharmaceutical history, drachm measurement adds period authenticity.
Also Known As
drachma dram
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