quotegarden.com

Poetry.com is an online community where poets and poetry readers share, discover, and promote poems. According to the site, it brings together poets "from every corner of the world" to share and celebrate writing, and it welcomes both beginners writing a first verse and experienced poets refining their craft. You can use it to submit your own poems, enter contests, browse a searchable poetry database, and explore creative tools such as illustrations and voice readings.

What you can do on Poetry.com

The platform is organized around a few core activities, each aimed at a different part of the poetry experience:

• Submit your poetry — Share your own work with the community.
• Enter contests — The site runs contests where participants can "share your work and gain recognition."
• Earn rewards — A rewards system lets you "earn perks through participation."
• Create illustrations and voice readings — The platform offers tools to "create images and voice readings" for poems.
• Browse and discover poems — Explore a growing database of poetry by title, poet, or alphabetical index.

How to share your poetry

1. Go to the submission entry point. The homepage presents a "Submit your poem" option alongside the contest link.
2. Provide your poem. The site does not specify formatting rules in the available material, so follow whatever fields the submission form presents.
3. Expect community visibility. Submitted work becomes part of a space where, in the site's words, "you'll find a welcoming community ready to read your work and share theirs."

A concrete example: if you have written a short reflective poem about family or friendship, you can submit it and let other members read and respond to it, the same way the featured poem "The Persecuted Spare: Harry's Princely Legacy" by Karl Constantine FOLKES is displayed with thematic tags such as Family, Forgiveness, Friendship, Justice, Life, Love, and Reflective.

How to discover poetry

Poetry.com offers several browsing paths, which matters if you are looking for something specific rather than scrolling randomly:

The homepage also surfaces a featured poem with tags, so you can move from a single poem to related themes.

Contests and rewards

The site describes contests as a way to "share your work and gain recognition," and rewards as perks earned "through participation." The available material does not specify contest frequency, entry fees, judging criteria, or the exact nature of the rewards, so treat those details as things to confirm on the site itself before entering. What is clear is the intended loop: participate, get recognized, and earn perks.

Creative tools: illustrations and voice readings

Beyond text, Poetry.com offers tools to "create images and voice readings." This is useful if you want to present a poem as more than plain text — for instance, pairing a poem with a generated illustration or a spoken recording. The material does not describe how these tools work step by step, so the practical approach is to open the tool and follow its on-screen prompts.

Who this platform suits

Poetry.com fits you if you want a low-barrier community space to publish poems, read a wide range of work, and try contests or multimedia extras. It is less suited if you need detailed editorial guidelines, formal publication credits, or transparent contest terms up front — those specifics are not documented in the available material, so verify them directly on the site before committing time or work.

Vintage base ball played by 1858 rules looks familiar at first glance—nine players, four bases, a bat and ball—but almost every detail works differently. The biggest changes: fielders play bare-handed (no gloves), pitchers deliver underhand from a flat line rather than a raised mound, batters can request a high or low pitch, and a ball caught on one bounce is still an out. The tone is also different: courtesy, formal address, and period vocabulary are part of the game, not extras. This guide explains the core rules and customs so you can follow a match or try a practice with a club like the Vermilion Voles in Danville, Illinois.

The 1858 rule set in plain terms

The rules most vintage clubs follow trace to the conventions adopted by early New York clubs in the 1850s. The 1858 version is a common reference point because it standardized several features that later evolved into modern baseball. Think of it as a snapshot of the game before gloves, overhand pitching, and the strike zone as we know it.

Pitching: underhand, from a line, not a mound

• The pitcher delivers the ball underhand, from a flat rectangular area (often called the pitcher's line or box), not a raised mound.
• The delivery is meant to be hittable—pitchers are often described as "feeding" the batter rather than trying to overpower him.
• There is no ball or strike count in the modern sense. The batter is expected to swing at good pitches, and the pitcher is expected to deliver them.

Batting: the batter calls the pitch

• The batter can request a high or low pitch and the pitcher must try to comply.
• A batter is not walked on four balls. There is no automatic base on balls.
• Foul balls are handled differently: in many 1850s interpretations, a foul ball caught on the fly or on one bounce is an out, and fouls may not count as strikes the way they do today.

Fielding: bare hands and one-bounce outs

• Fielders wear no gloves. Catching a line drive bare-handed is a genuine skill and a highlight of any match.
• A ball caught on the first bounce is an out. This is one of the most striking differences for modern spectators, who are used to "no bounce" catches.
• The ball itself is typically a bit softer and larger than a modern hardball, which makes bare-handed play more practical.

Running and outs

• There are four bases, but the runner is out if struck by a batted ball (though this is rare in practice).
• A runner may be put out by being tagged or by a fielder holding the ball on the base—similar to modern rules, but the vocabulary and umpiring style differ.
• Sliding is generally discouraged or handled with period etiquette; the emphasis is on sportsmanship.

Scoring and the shape of a game

• Runs are called "aces" or simply runs, depending on the club's custom.
• Innings and outs work much like modern baseball: three outs per side.
• Games may be played to a set number of innings or to a time limit, depending on the event.

Vocabulary and etiquette that give vintage matches their character

Vintage base ball is as much a performance of 19th-century manners as it is a sport. Clubs often use period terms and formal courtesy.

Etiquette points you may notice:

• Players may address the umpire and each other with formal courtesy.
• Disputes are handled with restraint; the spirit is gentlemanly competition.
• Spectators are often encouraged to cheer in period style—"Huzzah!" is a common rallying cry.

How to follow a match as a modern spectator

1. Watch the pitcher's motion. If the arm comes from below and the delivery looks gentle, you are seeing 1858-style pitching.
2. Watch the batter's request. You may see the batter signal for a high or low pitch before the delivery.
3. Watch the fielders' hands. No gloves means every catch is bare-handed, and a one-bounce catch still counts as an out.
4. Listen for the vocabulary. "Ace," "huzzah," and formal address to the umpire are cues that you are watching vintage base ball.
5. Expect a different pace. Without a ball-strike count, at-bats can be quicker or more conversational, and the emphasis is on fair play.

If you want to try it yourself

New players are generally welcome at vintage clubs, including the Vermilion Voles, whose home field is in Danville, Illinois. Here is a practical way to start:

1. Contact the club first. Ask about practice times, what to bring, and whether they have loaner equipment.
2. Dress for the period if you can. Many clubs have loaner uniforms or simple guidelines (long pants, a period-style cap, no modern logos).
3. Learn the bare-handed catch. Start with a softer ball and practice catching on the fly and on one bounce.
4. Practice underhand pitching. Accuracy and hittability matter more than speed.
5. Learn the vocabulary. Knowing "ace" and "huzzah" helps you fit into the club's culture.
6. Ask about the specific rule set. Clubs may follow 1858, 1860, or another year's rules, and details like foul-ball handling can vary.

Common questions

Is vintage base ball the same as "old-time baseball"?

It is a modern reenactment of 19th-century base ball. Clubs play by a chosen year's rules and customs, often 1858 or 1860, and treat the match as both sport and living history.

Do players really not wear gloves?

Yes. Bare-handed fielding is a defining feature. The ball is typically softer than a modern hardball, which makes it feasible.

Is there a strike zone?

Not in the modern sense. The batter requests a high or low pitch, and there is no ball-strike count that produces a walk.

Can a ball be caught on a bounce for an out?

Yes. Under 1858 rules, a ball caught on the first bounce is an out, which is one of the biggest differences from modern baseball.

How do I find a club near me?

Search for "vintage base ball club" plus your state or region. The Vermilion Voles in Danville, Illinois, is one example, and they welcome new players.

Bottom line

1858 rules vintage base ball keeps the shape of baseball but changes the texture: underhand pitching from a line, no gloves, one-bounce catches as outs, a batter who calls for high or low pitches, and a culture of courtesy and period vocabulary. If you are curious, the fastest way to understand it is to watch a match with these differences in mind—or reach out to a club like the Vermilion Voles and ask about joining a practice. Huzzah!

For research on William Hogarth (1697–1764), the literature falls into a few practical categories: biographies, books and exhibition catalogues, scholarly essays and papers, and book reviews. The most efficient entry point is a dedicated bibliography, and the site Hogarth: The Site for Research on William Hogarth (william-hogarth.de) organizes these categories directly, alongside image galleries and search tools. Use it when you need to move from a general question about Hogarth's life or prints to specific, citable sources.

The main types of Hogarth literature

Each type answers a different research need, so match the source to your question rather than reading everything.

The site lists these as separate sections — Biographies, Books on Hogarth, Online Essays, Image Galleries — plus "Special Search Tools," which is where you should start if you already know your topic.

Why a bibliography matters more than a search engine

Hogarth has attracted three centuries of writing, and the site notes that attempts at a bibliography "have been rare and indeed imperfect." A curated, annotated bibliography saves you from reconstructing that record yourself.

The forthcoming annotated, international two-volume Hogarth Bibliography by German art historian Bernd Krysmanski is presented as the central tool here. According to the site, it covers primary and secondary source literature and is published by Georg Olms (Hildesheim, Zurich, New York), ISBN 3-487-10971-9. If you are working seriously on Hogarth, his art, or the eighteenth century, this is the reference to check first — but note it is described as forthcoming, so confirm availability before relying on it.

Using the site's examples to see the range of scholarship

The site's own highlights show how varied the literature is, and each example points to a different research angle:

• Ronald Paulson has written more than sixty publications on Hogarth over six decades — useful if you want a single dominant interpreter.
• Mary Klinger Lindberg authored roughly a dozen papers on Hogarth and the London theatre — the starting point for performance and theatrical readings.
• Peter Wagner, Reading Iconotexts: From Swift to the French Revolution (1995), offers a modern intertextual, poststructuralist view — relevant for theory-driven approaches.
• Dennis Todd and Ronald Paulson read Hogarth's Cunicularii as a parody of the Adoration of the Magi — an example of iconographic argument.
• Werner Busch, Das sentimentalische Bild (1993), suggests Beer Street and Gin Lane allude to the wings of a Last Judgement triptych (Paradise and Hell) — a comparative visual reading.
• Michael J. H. Liversidge published a booklet on Hogarth's Bristol Altar-Piece — an example of a single-work study.
• Bernd Krysmanski, Hogarth's Hidden Parts (2010), raises the question of Hogarth's possible connections with the paedophilic subculture of eighteenth-century London — a contested claim worth reading critically.
• Christian Ludwig von Hagedorn wrote an early study of Hogarth's Analysis of Beauty as far back as 1762 — evidence that Hogarth criticism is itself historical.

Treat these as leads, not verdicts: the last two in particular are interpretive claims you should weigh against reviews and other scholarship.

A practical research sequence

1. Define your question — life, a specific print or painting, a theme, or reception history.
2. Check the bibliography first (Krysmanski's, once available) to see what already exists and avoid duplicating work.
3. Read a biography for chronology and context before diving into arguments.
4. Move to books, catalogues, and essays that address your specific question.
5. Read reviews of the key books to learn where scholars disagree and where a source is weak.
6. Cross-check images against texts using the site's image galleries, so claims about composition and detail can be verified visually.

Judging reliability

The site's framing gives you three checks: author authority (Paulson's sixty-plus publications, Lindberg's theatre specialization), publication data (publisher, date, ISBN — as with the Olms bibliography), and how a claim is received (reviews and competing interpretations). Where an argument is striking or contested, as with Hogarth's Hidden Parts, read the reviews before citing it.

The site itself is a research portal rather than a neutral publisher, so use it to locate sources and then evaluate those sources on their own terms.