The Biglow Papers
The Biglow Papers by James Russell Lowell is available here as the complete text, split into 348 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Biglow Papers by James Russell Lowell. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #22680.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Biglow Papers
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 347 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
This edition of The Biglow Papers by James Russell Lowell carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #22680, divided into 5 chapters and 348 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Where can I read The Biglow Papers in full?
The complete text of The Biglow Papers is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #22680 and divided into 348 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Biglow Papers by James Russell Lowell, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #22680, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 1738 sentences across 5 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.
How is The Biglow Papers divided for reading?
The Biglow Papers is presented in 5 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Biglow Papers as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 348 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The sections are gathered into 5 chapters.
Can I hear The Biglow Papers read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Biglow Papers can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Biglow Papers can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.
Questions about reading The Biglow Papers
Common questions about reading The Biglow Papers by James Russell Lowell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Biglow Papers?
Yes. All 1738 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22680 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Biglow Papers is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #22680, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Biglow Papers take to read?
About 144 minutes of reading across 348 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Biglow Papers section by section
How to work through The Biglow Papers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Biglow Papers to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Biglow Papers
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Biglow Papers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Biglow
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Biglow Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Papers
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Biglow Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- James
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Biglow Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Russell
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Biglow Papers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.