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 T

thew

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

Muscular strength or physical power; sinews or muscles themselves; also used in plural "thews" for bodily strength and vigor.

Detailed Definition
"Thew" derives from Old English "þēaw" (custom, habit), though it evolved to mean muscle, sinew, or physical strength. The term appears primarily in plural—"thews"—describing muscular power and bodily vigor. Poets employed it when depicting physical strength, particularly the visible musculature of warriors, laborers, or athletes. Its archaic dignity elevated descriptions of physical power beyond prosaic "muscles." The word often appeared in heroic contexts where strength required appropriate vocabulary—heroes possessed mighty thews. Its association with sinews connected strength to visible physical embodiment, making abstract power concrete. The term's archaic quality suited epic and heroic verse where physical prowess mattered thematically and required elevated language. Its use suggested admiration for bodily power and capacity, making it appropriate for celebrating physical achievement, warrior culture, or human strength. The word efficiently conveyed both the physical structures (sinews) and their result (strength).
Example
Example in poetry:
Physical strength, muscular power, or sinews; Beowulf's thew enabled him to tear off Grendel's arm; The blacksmith's thew was legendary throughout the land; Anglo-Saxon poetry celebrates the warrior's thew and courage; His thew availed him naught against superior numbers; The hero's mighty thew could bend iron bars
Additional Notes
“Thew” refers to muscular strength or sinew, often used in the plural “thews.” Poets employ it metaphorically for vigour, moral fortitude, or heroic power. The term reflects an admiration for physical prowess characteristic of epic and heroic poetry. Understanding its sense of bodily and spiritual might enriches interpretations of archaic verse.
Also Known As
muscle sinew strength power
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