Formatting Poems with HTML
The purpose of HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is to provide a universal way of marking up text in order to make web content accessible to everyone. HTML is a versatile tool, and it can be used to create rich, entertaining and informative web pages. In this article, we’ll explore how to use HTML to format poetry in webpages.
Although formatting poetry may seem daunting at first, it’s fairly simple to do, as long as you know the right HTML tags. It can be helpful to consider the structural elements of a poem, such as lines, stanzas and rhyme schemes, as you compose your web document.
Basic Poetry Formatting
HTML has some basic tags which can be used to format poetry. For example, the ‘div’ tag can be used to separate stanzas from one another. Similarly, the ‘p’ tag can be used to separate lines within a stanza. When using the ‘div’ and ‘p’ tags, it is important to pay attention to the order in which the elements are placed – it should generally follow the order of the poem.
Quotation marks and apostrophes are often used in poetry, and these can be represented in HTML with the ‘quot’ and ‘apos’ entities, respectively. Slashes, on the other hand, can be used to indicate line breaks, and should be formatted using the ‘br’ tag.
HTML Formatting for Colloquialisms
Colloquialisms are often used in spoken-word poetry, and these can be tricky to format in HTML. For example, when a poem contains phrases such as “ain’t” or “gonna”, the HTML code should reflect both the meaning and the pronunciation of the line. The HTML tags ‘em’ and ‘i’ can be used to indicate emphasis and slant rhyming, respectively.
It can also be useful to use HTML comments to identify the parts of poetry that are difficult to locate in the code. This can make it much easier to find and edit these elements when necessary.
Making Connections with Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks are an excellent way to enhance the experience for readers of poetry. HTML allows for many types of hyperlinks, such as ‘a’ for linking to other webpages and ‘area’ for linking to specific parts of an image.
When it comes to poetry, hyperlinks can be used to connect readers to additional content. For example, a poem about a certain event or person can contain a hyperlink which links to an article about that specific subject. This can give readers additional insight into the poem’s meaning and its context.
Adding Visuals to HTML Formatted Poetry
HTML offers a number of ways to enhance the appearance of poetry in a web document. For example, the ‘img’ tag can be used to add images to the page, while the ‘video’ and ‘audio’ tags can be used to add videos and sound files, respectively.
Visuals can add great depth to a poem and bring it to life in a way that plain text cannot. This can be especially true for performances or recordings of spoken-word poetry, which can be made available to readers via HTML hyperlinks.
Creating Artistic Design Elements
HTML also offers a variety of tools for creating artistic designs. For example, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) can be used to create intricate patterns in the background of poems or to add visual flourishes such as shadows or fades. Additionally, HTML tables can be used to arrange different elements of a poem in an aesthetically pleasing way.
These tools can be used to give poems a unique and memorable look, and can be combined with other HTML formatting techniques to create even more impressive results.
Modernizing Poetry Formatting in HTML
Modern web browsers have made it possible to use more complex HTML tags to format poetry. For example, the ‘em’ and ‘i’ tags can be used to emphasize certain words or syllables, while the ‘strong’ and ‘mark’ tags can be used to create visual accents and highlights.
These tools can be used to create a much more comprehensive and engaging experience for readers. Additionally, they can be used to create interactive poetry, with hyperlinks that link to relevant content or animations that transform words into images or sounds.
Using Audio Tags
HTML also allows for the use of audio tags such as ‘audio’ and ‘source’. These tags enable webpages to contain recordings of spoken poems, making it much easier for readers to experience the full emotion of a poem.
Many poets choose to include audio recordings of their work on their webpages, as it gives readers a richer and more intimate experience. This is especially true of performance and spoken-word poets, who can use audio tags to bring their work to life for readers.
Integrating Animation into Poems
HTML also offers a variety of tools for integrating animation into poetry. For example, the ‘svg’ tag can be used to create animations that are triggered by user interaction. Additionally, the ‘canvas’ tag can be used to draw visuals, while the ‘video’ tag can be used to create animated videos.
Animations can be used to bring a poem to life and give readers a unique experience. Additionally, animations can be integrated into interactive poems, allowing readers to explore poems in new and creative ways.
Integrating Social Sharing Options
It is also possible to integrate social sharing options into HTML formatted poetry. For example, the ‘a’ tag can be used to include a link to a poem on popular social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, the ‘iframe’ tag can be used to embed tweets, videos and other content into a poem.
Social sharing options are an excellent way to help promote poems and share them with a wider audience. Additionally, they can help to foster discourse around a poem and contribute to a lively discussion of its themes and implications.
Adapting to Responsive Design Elements
Responsive web design is an emerging trend, and it is important to take this into consideration when formatting poetry in HTML. Responsive design requires HTML code to be able to adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions. This means that elements such as line and stanza breaks, quotation marks and images must be able to adjust to different screen sizes and resolutions without crumbling.
Using HTML comments can be helpful for helping to manage responsive design elements, as these comments can be used to flag certain sections of code for responsive design. Additionally, HTML elements such as ‘div’ and ‘span’ can be used to add responsive design elements to the code.
Using Custom HTML Tags
In some cases, it may be helpful to use custom HTML tags. These tags can be used to identify meaningful elements of a poem, such as rhyme schemes or narrative arcs. This can make it easier to refer back to certain sections of the poem or to group certain elements of the poem together.
Using custom HTML tags can also help to make a poem easier to read and understand. For example, a custom HTML tag can be used to identify a recurring theme or motif in a poem, allowing readers to more easily identify and trace these themes throughout the poem.
Using Internal and External Links
Internal and external links are an important part of any web document, and this is especially true for poetry. Internal links can be used to link to other pages within the same website, and external links can be used to link to other webpages.
When it comes to poetry, links can provide readers with additional information about topics mentioned in the poem. For example, a poem about a certain event can include a link to an article about that event. This can help to create a more immersive experience for readers and can also provide them with valuable insight into the poem’s themes and topics.
Using Audio Descriptions
Audio descriptions are an important tool for making poetry accessible to readers who are visually impaired or otherwise unable to view the web page. HTML provides a number of tools for creating audio descriptions of poems, such as the ‘audio’ tag and the ‘description’ tag.
Audio descriptions can be used to provide a detailed description of a poem’s visuals, such as images or animations, as well as its text. By using audio descriptions, webpages can be made accessible to a much wider audience, allowing them to experience the full beauty of the poem.
