My Online Dictionary

How many professional poets, song writers, etc. use rhyming dictionaries and computer programs to help them?

I'm a poet and I've always been tempted to use something to better refine my poems but I also always thought it was wrong, kind of like cheating so I never did... I was just wondering how professional poets and the poetry community at large felt about that stuff.

Public Comments

1. not me...normal dictionary to check my spelling, sometimes. I learn my words through reading, so I need to double-check the meaning, sometimes.
2. They probably use that stuff. Whatever makes the job easier.
3. I guess the real question is what contemporary and relevant poets use rhyme consistently and well. Unless you're doing a Poe-like study of sounds, rhyme tends to distract and bury your content and creates superficial boundaries for writing. I'd just stay away from rhyme-- the poems of the "roses are red violets are blue" variety always feel uninspired.
4. There's nothing wrong with a rhyming dictionary. I confess I use it sometimes, but it's better to write from the heart.