Entries in poetry resources (3)

Tuesday
Feb022010

Century-Old Poetry Society of America Finds Fulfillment Online

Date02 February 2010 at 10:16 EST | AuthorJohn Robert Ladd

You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but poets have no trouble learning new things. There's no better example than the New York-based Poetry Society of America, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The PSA has long been a great supporter of poems and poets across the country, and in the past few years it has embraced the online world wholeheartedly.
Here's its mission:

The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization, was founded in 1910 for the purpose of creating a public forum for the advancement, enjoyment, and understanding of poetry. Through a diverse array of programs, initiatives, contests, and awards, the Poetry Society of America works to build a larger audience for poetry, to encourage a deeper appreciation of the art, and to place poetry at the crossroads of American life.


That last phrase, 'crossroads of American life,' is an especially apt one for describing what the PSA has accomplished in the past century. Now that this crossroads has moved into the virtual space, the PSA has moved there too. Take a look at their incredibly clean and well-organized website:


The website is full of information, events, and reviews, but the site itself doesn't overwhelm the message. It is intellectual while still retaining a little lightheartedness. I can't stop smiling each time I see the bear silhouette from that screenshot.

Their relaxed, well-balanced style has transitioned well to the PSA's excellent Twitter account, which has just been recently nominated for a Shorty Award in the 'cultural institution' category. We encourage you to vote for them here. It's not all the time that an institution as old and well-respected as the Poetry Society of America truly captures how to interact effectively online. For that they deserved to be recognized and commended.

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Monday
Dec142009

Follow-Up: Now Google Really IS Your Dictionary

Date14 December 2009 at 11:40 EST | AuthorJohn Robert Ladd


There has been a lot of news out Google's headquarters in Mountain View, CA over the last couple weeks. The release of Google Goggles, Real-Time Search, and the rumors of the imminent release of the Google phone, the Nexus One, are just a few. In the face of this flurry of tech activity, the story we're talking about today has gone relatively unnoticed, but to people who write for a living, it's a very important release.

Back in September, I wrote this article about the futility of subscription-based online dictionaries. I'd concluded by mentioning the fact that a simple search for a word does about as good a job providing a definition as any online dictionary does. Now, it seems that the folks at Google have to come to roughly the same conclusion.
In short, the search engine we all know and love has released their very own free online dictionary. Like everything they do, Google has built a highly functional product that integrates well with the rest of their services. Type an odd word into a Google Search, and a Google Dictionary result is returned right at the top. [This worked a little before the dictionary was officially released, but it's much more complete now.] Type a word into Google Dictionary, and you are offered not only their stored definitions, but also results from the web. Not to mention some pretty nifty integration with Google Translate using the language drop-down menu.

Seemingly overnight, Google has managed to build an extraordinarily competitive dictionary that many people will use through Google Search without even realizing. The need to click through to another service is greatly reduced. For a good example of the functionality of the service, check out this definition for the word 'bath'. Google seems to have most of the bases well covered: multiple definitions, pronunciation, spelling, common phrases, example sentences, and web results.

The only area in which they're so far lacking is one in which a subscription service like the OED shines: etymology. Any avid OED fan, me included, will tell you that the startlingly complete etymologies are this dictionaries ace in the hole. For scholarly reference on the history of the words, there's no matching it. If Google is ultimately trying to compete with the very best dictionaries out there, it's going to have to get on the ball with some word origins.

But, since it's Google, I can't imagine this addition is too far off. After all, they've already pretty much nailed the dictionary market as far as everyday use is concerned. I certainly wouldn't want to be Dictionary.com right now.

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Friday
Sep042009

Formal Poetry: Five Essential Resources for Enhancing Your Enjoyment and Understanding

Date04 September 2009 at 23:8 EDT | AuthorJohn Robert Ladd

By Travis King

I’m one of those rare persons who greatly prefers formal poetry to modern free verse. I know I’m a minority, and I’m not here to argue the merits of each over the other. I simply want to offer up some resources for those who, like me, are of the formal school or for those who prefer free verse but would like to get better acquainted with formal poetry—especially fellow poets who would like to write some. One of the arguments I’ve heard against formal poetry is that it’s obsolete, antiquated, a relic of the past. On the contrary, the movement is alive and well, and there are a number of modern technological resources available to anybody with a computer. With the following five, I believe anybody can come to understand, enjoy, and write formal poetry.

First, an introduction to the style is necessary. Two good ones that I recommend discuss the philosophy of formal poetry and give examples; both are available online at no cost: “Formal Poetry and Related Terms: Formalism, New Formalism, Neo-Formalism, Pseudo-Formalism, Neo-Classicism, Traditional Poetry, and the Multitudinous Variations Thereof” and Rhyme and Reason: Modern Formal Poetry.

Second, one should be familiar with the literature. There are many poetry sites on the Internet, but one that is sure to be limited almost entirely to classic formal poetry is the collection of public-domain (pre-1923) e-books at Bartleby.com. Also helpful for appreciating formal poetry are those sites that provide audio versions of poems. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’d like once again to suggest Classic Poetry Aloud, which currently provides free access to over 500 recordings. Also, check out journals that are devoted to formal poetry. Two outstanding ones that do not charge for access are The Road Not Taken: A Journal of Formal Poetry and Mezzo Cammin: An Online Journal of Formalist Poetry by Women.

Third, it’s a good idea to understand the terminology used in the field of poetry. Robert G. Shubinski’s Glossary of Poetic Terms is a simple, straightforward introduction. A more structured (but less wide-ranging) introduction is the classic Introduction to Poetry for Students of English Literature by Raymond Macdonald Alden, which is available for online reading or as a download in both .pdf and .epub formats.

Fourth, network with other formalists. Seek them out on Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, etc., and definitely consider joining the Eratosphere, a forum named for the Greek muse of lyric poetry. Here, you can discuss, post, and critique both formal and free-verse poems.

Finally, for those who truly wish not only to read formal poetry but to write it as well, a rhyming dictionary is an essential tool. No matter how expansive your vocabulary is, you can’t lodge the entire lexicon of the English language within your head. I myself have owned a portable paperback rhyming dictionary for years, but digital versions exist, and I suggest availing yourself of one. For those with iPhones or iPod Touches, Rhyme Time and Perfect Rhyme are available from the iTunes App Store. I’m not aware of any for the BlackBerry or Android, but good Web-based rhyming dictionaries can be found at rhymezone.com and rhymer.com; each possesses different functions in addition to basic end-rhyme matching, so try them both and decide which works for you.

Poets and poetry readers alike should find these materials quite useful, and as I mentioned, I believe with these five resources at hand, anyone can learn to enjoy, or enhance the enjoyment of, formal poetry. So, what are you waiting for? Go. Delve into the wide world of formalism! Have fun, and don’t forget to come back here and let me know what you find. Are these resources truly helpful? Are there others that poets and poetry lovers might find equally or more beneficial to their study or practice? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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