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 R

Reconnoiter

Military
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

To reconnoiter is to conduct a military survey of enemy territory to gather tactical information.

Detailed Definition
Reconnoitering represents warfare's careful, exploratory prelude to action, the cautious gathering of intelligence before committing to engagement. Poets use the act of reconnoitering to build tension and anticipation, portraying soldiers venturing into uncertain, potentially hostile territory to assess danger before others follow. The verb's active, ongoing sense conveys ongoing vigilance and the psychological strain of operating in unknown, threatening landscapes.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poem might describe soldiers sent to reconnoiter unfamiliar terrain before the main force advances; Poets use "reconnoiter" to build anticipation through careful, watchful movement into the unknown; A verse could contrast the deliberate pace of reconnoitering with the sudden violence that may follow; The term appears in poetry emphasizing ongoing vigilance in hostile, unfamiliar landscapes; A poem might depict a soldier's private fear while reconnoitering alone ahead of his unit; Historical war poetry sometimes uses reconnoitering to create suspense before a climactic engagement.
Additional Notes
To reconnoiter is to conduct a military survey of enemy territory to gather tactical information. The verb is often used in the context of a patrol or a commander's personal observation. It is the active process of scouting, assessing terrain, and locating enemy positions. In poetry, reconnoitering suggests the careful, cautious approach of the soldier who must see before being seen. Related terms include scout, observe, and patrol. Reconnoitering is the practical application of reconnaissance, the human art of gathering intelligence. Its role in avoiding disaster and finding opportunity is well-established in military literature.
Also Known As
Recon Scout Survey Inspect Explore Reconnaissance
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