Re: typesetting verse?

["John R. Culleton" <john@wexfordpress.com>]

On Tuesday 22 August 2006 23:39, Derek Schmidt wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Another simple question--have at it!
>
> I'd like to typeset some poetry. It should be indented, obey lines,
> and the lines should be close together, not like separate paragraphs.
> So far I've got
>
> \definestartstop[verse][commands=\obeylines]
>
>
> What next?
>
> All best,
> Derek
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In a book being set in plain pdftex I used the following;

\newcount\numberoflines
\newcount\stanza
\stanza=5


\def\bpoem{%
\\
\begingroup
\everypar={\kern .18\hsize\advance\numberoflines1
\ifodd\numberoflines
        \ifnum\numberoflines=\the\stanza
                \vskip-\baselineskip\medskip\numberoflines=0\relax\fi%
        \else%
        \quad\fi}%
\obeylines}

\def\epoem{\everypar={}\par\endgroup\bigskip}
----------------------------------------------------
For each poem the quantity \stanza would be set first. Stanza is
the number of lines in each stanza plus one. A four lines per
stanza poem gets the value of 5.

Then the poem would be enclosed in \bpoem \epoem statements. 

Most pdftex statements will execute in Context. But if not, then
the above can be used as pseudocode to guide the process. 


The poems themselves would look like e.g:

\bpoem
`` The things of Christ the Spirit takes,
And to our heart reveals,
Our bodies He His temple makes,
And our redemption seals.

Almighty Spirit! Visit thus,
Our hearts, and guide our ways,
Pour down thy quickening grace on us,
And tune our lips to praise.''
\epoem

Most pdftex statements will execute in Context. But if not, then
the above can be used as pseudocode to guide the process. 



-- 
John Culleton
Able Indexing and Typesetting
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