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 S

Scout

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

A scout is a soldier sent ahead of the main force to gather information about terrain or enemy positions.

Detailed Definition
The scout embodies warfare's exploratory vanguard, venturing alone or in small numbers into unknown territory to gather crucial intelligence before larger forces follow. Poets use the scout to explore themes of solitude, courage, and the particular vulnerability of operating without the protection of numbers, the scout's role requiring both physical bravery and careful observation, often serving as a poetic figure bridging the known and unknown territories of conflict.
Example
Example in poetry:
War poetry might follow a lone scout venturing ahead of the main force to assess unknown danger; Poets use "scout" to explore solitude, courage, and vulnerability without the protection of numbers; A verse could contrast the scout's careful observation with the larger force's eventual, decisive action; The term appears in poetry bridging the known and unknown territories of military conflict; A poem might describe a scout's return bearing crucial intelligence that alters a battle's course; Historical war poetry sometimes uses scouts to build tension before a larger confrontation unfolds.
Additional Notes
A scout is a soldier sent ahead of the main force to gather information about terrain or enemy positions. Scouts are the eyes of the army, operating in small teams, often at significant risk. They are skilled in observation, stealth, and reporting. In poetry, the scout symbolizes the solitary warrior, the one who goes alone into the unknown. Related terms include reconnaissance, reconnaissance patrol, and skirmisher. The scout's role is crucial in avoiding ambushes and finding routes. The scout's observations shape the commander's decisions, making them vital.
Also Known As
Reconnaissance Man Lookout Patroller Explorer Advance Scout Reconnoiter
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