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

shares

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

In archaic usage, "shares" refers to the sharp, pointed objects used in a plow or agricultural tool, often symbolizing suffering or sacrifice.

Detailed Definition
The term "shares" originates from the Old English word "scear," which denotes the cutting blade of a plow. In the context of Katharine Lee Bates' poem "The Fellowship," "burning shares" evokes the image of martyrdom and the intense suffering endured by those who are dedicated to a cause. This usage highlights the theme of sacrifice and the shared experiences of pain among artists and those who strive for a greater understanding of humanity.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Bates' poem, the line "That trod on burning shares and drank the heat" illustrates the concept of "shares" as a metaphor for the trials faced by martyrs. The imagery suggests that these individuals willingly endure suffering, akin to walking on fiery plowshares, as part of their commitment to a higher purpose.
Additional Notes
The term "shares" is not commonly used in contemporary language, making it an archaic term that may require explanation for modern readers. Related terms include "plowshare," which specifically refers to the part of a plow that turns the soil. When analyzing poetry, it’s important to consider the historical context of language, as many archaic terms carry deeper meanings that enrich the text. The use of "shares" in Bates' poem can be contrasted with more modern expressions of suffering, which may not carry the same agricultural connotation. Etymologically, "shares" is linked to agricultural practices, emphasizing the connection between labor, sacrifice, and artistic creation.
Also Known As
Portions Allotments Shares of Stock Dividends
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