[comp.text.tex] How do I make poetry local to an \item in LaTeX ?

grodan@cyklop.nada.kth.se (Mats G L|fdahl) (02/07/91)

I'm trying to create a list environment in which I want some items to
be in poetry mode, and some in ordinary non-poetry mode.

I would like to be able to enter these items like this:

\verseitem[label]  First line in first stanza 		
                   Second line in first stanza		

                   First line in second stanza 		
                   Second line in second stanza		

\item[label]       Ordinary text in a non-poetry paragraph


I thought of two ways to do this:

1) Somehow make \verseitem be an \item with the text inside a verse
environment. Then I just make \catcode`\^^M=\active \def^^M{\\}, so
that I don't need to end the lines with a \\.

2) In a \verseitem, do \catcode`\^^M=\active \def^^M{\hfil\break}

However, I don't know how to make the definitions local to an item. 

Also, in 1), LaTeX will not like the empty line between the stanzas,
because of the definition of ^^M.

Solutions or/and good ideas welcome by email. General interest
will make me post a summary.

                    /Mats.




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 Mats Lofdahl, Stockholm Observatory, S-133 36 Saltsjobaden | +46 - 8 16 44 75 
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