Poetry

In Quest

I wrote this poem for a class at Writing University, an online MOOC at the University of Iowa, in the summer of 2014. The assignment was to use words formed from the letters of the word “ventriloquist.” I believe this was intended both to keep us from grabbing words we’re too used to using, and also to increase the probability of coincidentally aligned sounds.

How This Was Written

In writing this, I wrote a computer program to find the words I had to work with. Click here to see the full list of words. Click here to hide the full list of words.

1 Letter

I

2 Letters

el, en, es, et, ii, in, is, it, iv, lo, ls, no, nu, on, or, qr, qt, re, rs, rt, so, sq, st, ti, tn, to, tr, ts, us, vi, vs

3 Letters

els, ens, eon, est, ins, int, ion, ire, isl, its, lei, let, lie, liq, lit, lot, net, nil, nit, nor, nos, not, nus, nut, oil, one, ons, ore, ors, our, out, quo, rel, res, rev, riv, roe, rot, rte, rue, run, rut, sen, seq, set, sin, sir, sit, sol, son, sot, sou, sue, sun, tel, ten, tie, tin, tis, tit, toe, ton, tor, tot, tun, tut, ult, urn, use, vet, vie, vii, vis, voe, vol

4 Letters

eons, eris, erst, evil, inst, inti, into, ions, ires, iris, iron, isle, leis, lens, lent, lest, lets, lien, lier, lies, lieu, line, lino, lint, lion, lire, list, lite, lits, live, loin, lone, lore, lorn, lose, lost, lots, lour, lout, love, lune, lure, lust, lute, nest, nets, nett, neut, nevi, nils, nits, noel, noes, nose, note, nous, nuts, oils, oles, oner, ones, onus, ores, ours, oust, outs, oven, over, quit, quot, rein, reno, rent, rest, revs, rile, riot, rise, rite, rive, roes, roil, role, rose, rote, rots, rout, rove, rues, ruin, rule, rune, runs, runt, ruse, rust, ruts, sent, sett, silo, silt, sine, sire, site, situ, slit, sloe, slot, slue, slur, slut, snit, snot, soil, sole, sore, sort, soul, sour, sqrt, stet, stir, stun, suer, suet, suit, sure, tels, tens, tent, tern, test, tier, ties, tile, tilt, tine, tins, tint, tire, tits, toes, toil, tole, tone, tons, tore, tori, torn, tors, tort, tote, tots, tour, tout, trio, trot, true, tune, tuns, turn, tuts, unit, univ, unto, urns, user, veil, vein, vent, vest, veto, vets, vier, vies, vile, vine, vino, viol, vise, voes, vole, vols, volt, vote

5 Letters

equiv, evils, inert, inlet, inset, instr, inter, intro, inure, irons, islet, ivies, lento, liens, lieus, lieut, liner, lines, lints, lions, liter, lites, liven, liver, lives, loins, loner, lores, loris, loser, lotus, lours, louse, louts, lover, loves, lures, lutes, netts, nevus, nisei, niter, noels, noise, noter, notes, novel, nurse, oiler, olive, onset, oriel, osier, otter, outer, ovens, overs, overt, ovule, quern, quest, quiet, quilt, quint, quire, quirt, quite, quits, quoin, quoit, quote, reins, rents, resin, resit, riles, rinse, riots, risen, rites, riven, rives, rivet, roils, roles, rosin, rotes, rouse, roust, route, routs, roves, ruins, rules, runes, runts, senor, servo, siren, slier, snore, snort, snout, soler, solve, stein, steno, stern, stile, stilt, stint, stole, stone, store, stout, stove, strut, stunt, suite, tenor, tents, terns, tiers, tiler, tiles, tilts, tines, tints, tires, titer, title, toils, toles, toner, tones, toque, tores, torte, torts, torus, toter, totes, tours, touts, tries, trios, trite, trots, trout, trove, trues, trust, tuner, tunes, turns, tutor, unite, units, unlit, unset, untie, until, urine, uteri, utile, utter, veils, veins, velor, vents, verso, viler, vines, vinos, viols, vireo, virus, visit, visor, vitro, voile, voles, volts, voter, votes

6 Letters

enlist, inerts, inlets, inlier, insert, insole, insult, insure, inters, intros, intuit, inures, invert, invest, invite, lentos, lesion, liners, linter, liquor, listen, lister, liters, litter, livens, livers, livest, loiter, loners, lotter, louver, lovers, luster, niters, nosier, novels, oilers, oilier, oliver, olives, oriels, orient, otters, ouster, outers, outlet, outset, ovules, quiets, quilts, quints, quires, quirts, quites, quiver, quoins, quoits, quoter, quotes, result, revolt, rivets, rotten, routes, runlet, rustle, senior, sequin, silent, silver, sinter, sitter, sliver, sloven, snivel, solute, solver, sortie, soviet, squint, squire, squirt, stolen, stoner, stover, strive, strove, suitor, sunlit, sutler, tenors, tensor, tilers, tilter, tinier, tinsel, tinter, titers, titler, titles, toiler, toilet, toners, tonier, tonsil, toques, torque, torten, tortes, tousle, touter, trites, triton, triune, trivet, trouts, troves, truest, tuners, turtle, tutors, ulster, uniter, unites, unrest, unties, unveil, urines, ursine, utters, velors, venous, vilest, vinous, violet, violin, vireos, virile, virtue, vision, voiles, volute, voters

7 Letters

elision, elitist, elution, entrust, envious, inquest, inquire, introit, intuits, inutile, inverts, inviter, invites, ironies, ivories, lintier, linties, liquors, litotes, litters, loiters, lousier, louvers, lustier, nervous, nitrite, nitrous, noisier, nostril, nuttier, oiliest, onliest, orients, outlets, outline, outlive, quilter, quintet, quitter, quivers, quonset, revisit, revolts, rivulet, rottens, routine, runlets, siltier, sirloin, slitter, solvent, stinter, stonier, stouten, stouter, striven, tilters, tiniest, toilers, toilets, toniest, tonsure, torques, tourist, trivets, tuition, turtles, unities, unitive, untiles, unveils, utensil, venturi, version, violent, violets, violins, violist, virtues, visitor, vitrine, vitriol, vittles, volutes

8 Letters

inquires, insulter, introits, investor, involute, lintiest, lutenist, neuritis, nitrites, novelist, outliers, outlines, outlives, question, quilters, quintets, quintile, quitters, quotient, revision, rivulets, routines, runtiest, sluttier, snottier, souvenir, squinter, tuitions, venturis, virulent, vitreous, vitrines, vitriols

9 Letters

intrusive, nutritive, quintiles, quotients, revulsion, turnstile

Click here to hide the full list of words.

Combing through the complete list of available words, I arranged a number of them into what seemed like useful categories from which to build my story: Click here to see my categorized groups. Click here to hide my categorized groups.

Small Words

I, is, it, lo, nil, no, not, or, quo, so, us

Time

eon

Count

tens, ones

Prepositions

in, into, on, out, outer, over, to, until

Jobs

nurse, novelist, investor, tilers, tourist, visitor, quilter, stoner, suitor

Colors

rust, rose, silver, violets, tints

Modifiers

elitist, evils, inert, intrusive, lintiest, lousier, lustier, nervous, nosier, oiliest, onliest, risen, silent, sluttier, snottier, stonier, tiniest, vile, virulent

Nouns

inlets, inquest, ironies, leis, lines, lites, lose, louvers, luster, ouster, outlets, question, quotient, rivulets, ruins, rules, ruse, sin, sliver, solvent, souvenir, squinter, squirt, suit, tensor, tilters, toilets, trivets, tuitions, turnstile, veils, veins, virtues, virus, volts, volts BODY - iris, loin, nose, nostril, nuts, tits, toe

Emotion

envious, ire, love, lust, revulsion, vitriols

State

revision, routines, torques, version

Environment

noise, quiet

Food

liquor, livers, nutritive, olive, oven, sirloin, stir, stout, trout, utensil, vines, vinos, vinous, vittles

Animal

lion, turtle

Verbs

entrust, inquire, insult, inverts, invites, lets, lies, lives, loiters, loves, lures, nits, notes, oils, oust, outlives, quits, quivers, revolts, revs, roils, roves, runs, ruts, sit, solve, squirt, striven, toils, touts, trots, turns, unties, unveils, use, vents, votes

Music

ivories, lute, quintets, tenors, tunes, violins, viols

Click here to hide my categorized groups.

Other Notes