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

rood

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 cross, especially the crucifix; also a unit of land measurement, but primarily used in religious poetic contexts.

Detailed Definition
In medieval and Renaissance poetry, “rood” most often refers to the cross of Christ’s crucifixion, serving as a powerful symbol of sacrifice, redemption, and divine suffering. The term features prominently in devotional works like “The Dream of the Rood,” an Old English poem where the cross itself narrates Christ’s Passion, blending heroic and Christian imagery. “Rood” evokes both physical object and spiritual icon, allowing poets to explore themes of martyrdom, faith, and salvation. Its archaic resonance and monosyllabic weight make it ideal for solemn, meditative verse steeped in ecclesiastical tradition.
Example
Example in poetry:
Christ died upon the rood for all humanity's salvation; By the holy rood, I swear to keep my solemn vow; A rood of land was granted to the faithful servant; The ancient rood stands weathered in the churchyard still; She measured cloth by the rood in the marketplace; Pilgrims knelt before the rood and offered fervent prayers
Additional Notes
"Rood" derives from Old English "rod," meaning cross or crucifix, specifically referring to the cross on which Christ was crucified. In medieval churches, the "rood" was a large crucifix positioned above the entrance to the chancel, often accompanied by figures of Mary and John. The "rood screen" separated the nave from the choir. In poetry, "rood" appears primarily in religious contexts, often in oaths or invocations: "by the rood" was a common medieval oath. The term carries solemn, sacred connotations, instantly establishing a Christian devotional or medieval atmosphere. Less commonly, "rood" was also a unit of land measurement, equal to a quarter acre, though this sense rarely appears in poetry. Chaucer, medieval mystery plays, and religious lyrics employ "rood" extensively. Related terms include "crucifix," "cross," and "calvary." The word's single syllable and strong Anglo-Saxon sound make it effective in stressed metrical positions. Understanding "rood" is essential for reading medieval religious poetry and for poets seeking to evoke sacred or medieval Christian contexts in their work.
Also Known As
rod roode cross
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