A Poet's Dictionary

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Disclaimer: This is a personal project. Real definitions are sourced from online dictionaries or common knowledge. No copyright infringement intended or committed (as far as the author is aware).

About

"I’ve been doing something perhaps a little… Quirky with my poetry this semester.I’ve been alphabetizing.The purpose of this, other than the personal satisfaction of organizing a poem in the worst way possible, was originally to check that I wasn’t overusing particular words. Did I use the same verb twice without noticing? Was I using a particular adjective too much? How often was I using “you” or “that”?The actual process goes something like this:First, I remove all line breaks and formatting of the poem so that it sits in one big paragraph. Then I pop it into this alphabetization tool:
https://wordcounter.net/alphabetizeBoom, the poem has become alphabetical!Next, I put all eight poems into the alphabetizer together, making a massive paragraph of word vomit, and then used another tool from the same website: “Remove List Duplicates.” The only exception/problem with this software is that punctuation will mark a word as not being identical. For example, “you” (without punctuation) & “you.” (with a period) & “you,” (with a comma) are all perceived as different words.Removing the duplicates gave me a list of approximately 775 unique words, which then became the basis of “A Poet's Dictionary.” This is a massive poem and general document of the words I use in my pieces, with definitions pulled both from common knowledge definitions, verified through Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, and with the added twist of my own “poetic definition” of the words. Of course, as I’ve continued the project, I’ve cut certain words or merged them. (In one attempt to tackle this monstrosity, I gave myself the goal of cutting each letter down to only 25 or fewer entries; you can see how well that worked out.)Ultimately, I do want to complete this project with as many words as possible: going back in and adding cut words once the ones currently on my list have made it, adding more words from poems that weren’t part of the original eight, etc. etc.The overarching purpose of doing all this is an awareness of my own vocabulary. For example, I have used words starting with every letter of the alphabet except for X and Z; how can I incorporate a “Z” word into a poem now? I only have a couple “J” words; how do I expand that particular list? What words do I overuse? How can I be more conscientious about them?

The Lists

• With Duplicates
• Without Duplicates

With Duplicates

- - [I a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a about about about about above accident accolades, across across actually adjacently, adorned afloat: after after against ahead, air all all all all almost along along along aloud. already also always always always an an an an an an and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and anger-bleached any anything anything. are are are are are are, arms, around as as as as as as ask ask asked asked at at at at at at at at at awaiting award-season-sweeper, back back backs. backyards, bad bad ball balloon, bar barely barn bathroom be be be be be be be be be be be because, because, becomes becomes bedroom been been before before behind. being believes beneath better between bile bird black black blade blanket blood blood blooms bodies body body body bones bones? born both Both, bottom brain break breastbone. brushstrokes. buffer, buried, burn burned but but but but but but by by cables calling calling calls calls came can cannot cannot captivity caramel care Carol carved carving cat cat. cats, cauliflower, cave CD century chandelier chew child's childhood childhood childhood chintz choice Christmas cinema circumstance. City class class classmates cliff, closed, clutch code, cold cold colors come compared consider consonant constellation. construction control convolutions cook cooling couch could couple course, cracked cracked cracked craters; cream. Creative creeps crest crickets crisis crossing crowds cruise cry cupping curl curtain curtains cut Dad’s Day day, day. days dead deck deck; delightful demand Denise, Denise, Denise, did did did did died. diet digging dirt, disco discussing disobedient displacement distinguishable divide divided do do do, doesn’t don’t don’t don’t don’t doors, down down down do—maybe dream, drive driving, ducks duty each each easiest Easy echoes: edges electric, embedded emptiness empty empty ending ending, entwine. even eventually ever ever ever every every every every example exhale exhale exist exit extending extra eyed eyes eyes face fall father father father fear feathers February feel feel… feel…”] few fields fifty, fills film find find find finds finger fingers first first flame flat, flavor flesh flesh, for for for for for for for for for for for for for for, forget forward, found found found— four four free fresh freshly friend friends frightening, from from from from from frozen fulfilled full full full full-length future gardens gas getting ghost ghost, gift. girl girl give, glamour, glass. glitter, go go go, gold, got granite-blackened gravity, grow guide gums gums, gush hand hand hand-mending hands hang hanging hard hard hardly has has has has has have have have having having he headlamps, heads headstone, hear heard heart heart, heartbeat heartbeat Helios her He’s He’s He’s He’s He’s High high, highway highway him his his hold holds hollow holy. home home home home. homesick, hope hope hope hope hopes horizon horizon horses hot house, houses, how how how how how how how how, human hundred hundred hundreds, hung hurtling hyperventilates, hypes I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I if if if if if if if if if if if images, imparted importantly impress in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in index injected insistent instead intention interstate interstate. into into into into into into into is is is is is is is is is is is is is is It It It It It It It It It It It It It It It it, its its its itself it’s it’s it’s I’m I’ve I’ve I’ve I’ve I’ve I’ve joy just just just just Kansas kayak keep kind kneel knew knew knife, know know know know know know, know? know? know? know? known Korean KU laced lake lash last last later, Latinates laugh. lazy learned learned, learned: learning leave ledge, ledge: left left left left lessons Let Let Let Let Let Let Let Let Let Let licking lifeless lightning like like like like like like like lines lines linger, lives. locked looking lost love lover low lungs lungs. making man’s may maybe maybe me me me me me me me me me me me me me, me, me. me. meal meat meat, mental message metallic, me— midnight miles miles miles miles. mine. mine. minutes mirrors? Mississippi; months. moon moon more more more more Morse mostly Mother, Mountains Mountains mouse-catching, mouth mouth, mouths movie mulch mullens. muscles music. must my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my myself neat, needless, neighbors never never never never next next night, nights ninety ninety no no no nominated none Nor Nor not not not not not not not nothing now now now, nuance occasionally odd of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of often Oh Oh, oil on on on on on on on One One one’s only only only only or or or oracle ordinary. other other. our our our our our our our Ouroboros out out out out outbreaks, over over over over over over over overripe own own own own own. oxygen oxygen. paddle painters painters palm pandemic panic parallel parents’ part part past past path peering pick piloting pinching pizza, place plainly, plastic playing poem poem poems poem’s poet pointed poison populate pouncing, practical pressed prevertebral pride pristine prompts prose, pulled: pulling purring, put put queer radio rapidly read real. really reflection reflections refuse regardless rejection— remnants rend rest rest rhythm right right rises; road rock rod room room rooms rough round, row, rule run run-time, run. safety salted, sashaying satisfaction save say scattered School scorch scorched, scorned scratching season. secret see see seek seen seen sending sensation set sets, seventeen shadow shaking shattering. shot shutters silly, since singing singing sitting skeletons. skim sleep, slew slid smoke. so so so so so soft soft soil someone someone someone something something, sounds space, speak spices, spine spinning, splashed spotting spring sprout stage stains stare stare staring stars static station Stay still still still still still sting; stitches stomach stop stop, stranger strangers streetlight stretches stuck summer, summer. sun sun sun. sun; sunflower sunflowers supposed surface surface susans suture swallow swooping syllable syllables table talk tap taste taste tastes taught Teacher teeth. teeth. teeth. teeth” teeth” tell tell tell tell tender tendon tension than than than than That That That That That That That That That That That That That That That That That That That That That The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The their their their their themselves, there there there there there there there, there, There’s They thin think thirty this this this this those thread three three throat, throbbing, throbs throbs throbs through through through through through tile times tissue title. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to Today tongue tongue, tongue, tongue. tonight: too too tool, toward town tracks train tried trigger triremes true try trying tucked tumble turn twenty-first twenty-one. twist unable under understand, unravelling. until until until up up up up, upon upon us use used. Valentine’s Valentine’s, veins, verses violent virus walls want warfare warm was was was was was was was watching waves wax way we we we we we we we we we we? week week, weeks, weigh weight well, well, were were what what what, wheels wheels, when when when when when when where which while whim whiskey, white white who who whole whole whose whose why why will will will will will will will win, windows windows, windows, wings wings wings wings; wink wires with with with with with with with with with with with with with without without without wondering word word would wounds wounds. wrangling wrath. wrist. write write Writing years years, yellow yellow yet: you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you, you.” your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your you—got you’d you’ll – – – – – “I “It “It “She

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Without Duplicates

[Note: punctuation will mark a word as not being identical. For example, “you” (without punctuation) & “you.” (with a period) & “you,” (with a comma) are all perceived as different words.]

a about above accident accolades, across actually adjacently, adorned afloat: after against ahead, air all almost along aloud. already also always an and anger-bleached any anything anything. are are, arms, around as ask asked at awaiting award-season-sweeper, back backs. backyards, bad ball balloon, bar barely barn bathroom be because, becomes bedroom been before behind. being believes beneath better between bile bird black blade blanket blood blooms bodies body bones bones? born both Both, bottom brain break breastbone. brushstrokes. buffer, buried, burn burned but by cables calling calls came can cannot captivity caramel care Carol carved carving cat cat. cats, cauliflower, cave CD century chandelier chew child's childhood chintz choice Christmas cinema circumstance. City class classmates cliff, closed, clutch code, cold colors come compared consider consonant constellation. construction control convolutions cook cooling couch could couple course, cracked craters; cream. Creative creeps crest crickets crisis crossing crowds cruise cry cupping curl curtain curtains cut Dad’s Day day, day. days dead deck deck; delightful demand Denise, did died. diet digging dirt, disco discussing disobedient displacement distinguishable divide divided do do, doesn’t don’t doors, down do—maybe dream, drive driving, ducks duty each easiest Easy echoes: edges electric, embedded emptiness empty ending ending, entwine. even eventually ever every example exhale exist exit extending extra eyed eyes face fall father fear feathers February feel feel… feel…”] few fields fifty, fills film find finds finger fingers first flame flat, flavor flesh flesh, for for, forget forward, found found— four free fresh freshly friend friends frightening, from frozen fulfilled full full-length future gardens gas getting ghost ghost, gift. girl give, glamour, glass. glitter, go go, gold, got granite-blackened gravity, grow guide gums gums, gush hand hand-mending hands hang hanging hard hardly has have having he headlamps, heads headstone, hear heard heart heart, heartbeat Helios her He’s High high, highway him his hold holds hollow holy. home home. homesick, hope hopes horizon horses hot house, houses, how how, human hundred hundreds, hung hurtling hyperventilates, hypes I if images, imparted importantly impress in index injected insistent instead intention interstate interstate. into is It it, its itself it’s I’m I’ve joy just Kansas kayak keep kind kneel knew knife, know know, know? known Korean KU laced lake lash last later, Latinates laugh. lazy learned learned, learned: learning leave ledge, ledge: left lessons Let licking lifeless lightning like lines linger, lives. locked looking lost love lover low lungs lungs. making man’s may maybe me me, me. meal meat meat, mental message metallic, me— midnight miles miles. mine. minutes mirrors? Mississippi; months. moon more Morse mostly Mother, Mountains mouse-catching, mouth mouth, mouths movie mulch mullens. muscles music. must my myself neat, needless, neighbors never next night, nights ninety no nominated none Nor not nothing now now, nuance occasionally odd of often Oh Oh, oil on One one’s only or oracle ordinary. other other. our Ouroboros out outbreaks, over overripe own own. oxygen oxygen. paddle painters palm pandemic panic parallel parents’ part past path peering pick piloting pinching pizza, place plainly, plastic playing poem poems poem’s poet pointed poison populate pouncing, practical pressed prevertebral pride pristine prompts prose, pulled: pulling purring, put queer radio rapidly read real. really reflection reflections refuse regardless rejection— remnants rend rest rhythm right rises; road rock rod room rooms rough round, row, rule run run-time, run. safety salted, sashaying satisfaction save say scattered School scorch scorched, scorned scratching season. secret see seek seen sending sensation set sets, seventeen shadow shaking shattering. She shot shutters silly, since singing sitting skeletons. skim sleep, slew slid smoke. so soft soil someone something something, sounds space, speak spices, spine spinning, splashed spotting spring sprout stage stains stare staring stars static station Stay still sting; stitches stomach stop stop, stranger strangers streetlight stretches stuck summer, summer. sun sun. sun; sunflower sunflowers supposed surface susans suture swallow swooping syllable syllables table talk tap taste tastes taught Teacher teeth. teeth” tell tender tendon tension than That The their themselves, there there, There’s They thin think thirty this those thread three throat, throbbing, throbs through tile times tissue title. to Today tongue tongue, tongue. tonight: too tool, toward town tracks train tried trigger triremes true try trying tucked tumble turn twenty-first twenty-one. twist unable under understand, unravelling. until up up, upon us use used. Valentine’s Valentine’s, veins, verses violent virus walls want warfare warm was watching waves wax way we we? week week, weeks, weigh weight well, were what what, wheels wheels, when where which while whim whiskey, white who whole whose why will win, windows windows, wings wings; wink wires with without wondering word would wounds wounds. wrangling wrath. wrist. write Writing years years, yellow yet: you you, you. your you’d you’ll

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