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

Surrealism

Art
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 20th-century movement in art and literature that seeks to access the unconscious through unexpected juxtapositions, dream imagery, and automatism.

Detailed Definition
Surrealism is an avant-garde movement that emerged in the early 20th century, aiming to challenge the boundaries of reality and explore the unconscious through dreamlike imagery and unexpected juxtapositions. In poetry, surrealism manifests as a departure from logical narrative structures, favoring associative language and bizarre imagery that provoke thought and evoke emotion. Poets influenced by surrealism often seek to tap into the subconscious, allowing for a more profound exploration of human desires, fears, and the irrational aspects of existence. This approach encourages readers to embrace ambiguity and to find meaning in the unexpected.
Example
Example in poetry:
In her surrealist poem, the poet conjures dreamlike images that defy logic, such as a clock melting over a tree branch; she explores the subconscious, where reality blurs and the impossible becomes possible; the language is fluid and whimsical, inviting readers to let go of rational thought; the poem culminates in a fantastical vision that challenges perceptions of reality.
Additional Notes
Surrealism is an artistic movement that emerged in the early 20th century, aiming to unlock the unconscious mind and explore the dreamlike and irrational aspects of human experience. Surrealist artists, such as Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, often employed bizarre imagery and unexpected juxtapositions to challenge conventional perceptions of reality. This movement encourages artists to tap into their subconscious through techniques like automatic drawing and free association. To engage with surrealism, consider how you can blend reality with fantasy in your work, creating a sense of wonder and intrigue.
Also Known As
Dream Art Fantastic Realism Surréalisme Surrealist style
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