The Poetaster
The Poetaster by Ben Jonson is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 864 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Poetaster by Ben Jonson. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #5166.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Poetaster
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 859 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
This edition of The Poetaster by Ben Jonson carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #5166, divided into 11 chapters and 864 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, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.
Where can I read The Poetaster in full?
The complete text of The Poetaster is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #5166 and divided into 864 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Poetaster by Ben Jonson, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #5166, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 4319 sentences across 11 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 Poetaster divided for reading?
The Poetaster is presented in 11 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Poetaster as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 864 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 11 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.
Can I hear The Poetaster read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Poetaster can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Poetaster 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 Poetaster
Common questions about reading The Poetaster by Ben Jonson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Poetaster?
Yes. All 4319 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5166 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Poetaster is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #5166, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Poetaster take to read?
About 359 minutes of reading across 864 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Poetaster section by section
How to work through The Poetaster section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Poetaster 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 Poetaster
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Poetaster, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Greatest
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetaster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- English
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetaster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Dramatists
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetaster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Except
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetaster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.