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A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny
A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny
Context Illustration Reading 1/53 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BACON A REBEL.
"Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.
Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."
--MOORE.
The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BACON A REBEL.
/ˈbeɪkən ə ˈrebəl/
Line 2
"Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.
Line 3
Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."
Line 4
--MOORE.
/mʊr/
Line 5
The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.
/ðə deɪ ˈæftər ðə mɪˈstɪriəs ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns ʌv ðə ʃɪp dɪˈsper ənd ðə flaɪt ʌv ˈbeɪkən ə ʃɪp frʌm nuː ˈɪŋɡlənd ərˈaɪvd ɪn pɔːrt/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

bacon noun US /ˈbeɪkən/

back and sides of a hog salted and dried or smoked; usually sliced thin and fried

From this reading “BACON A REBEL.”

disappearance noun US /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading “The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.”

fervor noun US /ˈfɜːrvər/

feelings of great warmth and intensity

From this reading “Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."”

folds noun US /foʊldz/

plural of “fold” — an angular or rounded shape made by folding

From this reading “Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."”

Hark verb US /hɑːrk/

listen; used mostly in the imperative

From this reading “"Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.”

moore noun US /mʊr/

United States composer of works noted for their use of the American vernacular (1893-1969)

From this reading “--MOORE.”

pulse noun US /pʌls/

(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)

From this reading “Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."”

rebel noun US /ˈrebəl/

“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms

From this reading “BACON A REBEL.”

All words in this reading · 57

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading BACON A REBEL.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

BACONnounUS /ˈbeɪkən/

back and sides of a hog salted and dried or smoked; usually sliced thin and fried

From this reading BACON A REBEL.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

boy-soldier

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

charmsnounUS /tʃɑːrmz/

plural of “charm” — attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

DespairnounUS /dɪˈsper/

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

disappearancenounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

fearsnounUS /fɪrz/

plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

fervornounUS /ˈfɜːrvər/

feelings of great warmth and intensity

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

flightnounUS /flaɪt/

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

foldsnounUS /foʊldz/

plural of “fold” — an angular or rounded shape made by folding

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

fondadjectiveUS /fɑːnd/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

HarkverbUS /hɑːrk/

listen; used mostly in the imperative

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

hearsverbUS /hiːrz/

third-person singular of “hear” — perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

MOOREnounUS /mʊr/

United States composer of works noted for their use of the American vernacular (1893-1969)

From this reading --MOORE.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

portnounUS /pɔːrt/

a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

proudadjectiveUS /praʊd/

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

pulsenounUS /pʌls/

(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

REBELnounUS /ˈrebəl/

“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms

From this reading BACON A REBEL.

RoundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading The day after the mysterious disappearance of the ship _Despair_ and the flight of Bacon, a ship from New England arrived in port.

sinkverbUS /sɪŋk/

fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

tisnounUS /tɪz/

plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

valor's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

wakeningnoun

the act of waking

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

war-steed's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Hark! 'tis the sound that charms The war-steed's wakening ears.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Oh! many a mother folds her arms Round her boy-soldier, when that call she hears, And though her fond heart sink with fears, Is proud to feel his young pulse bound With valor's fervor at the sound."

Chapter 20 of A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny by John R. (John Roy) Musick holds 269 sentences, grouped into 54 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 20 of A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny contain?

Chapter 20 holds 269 sentences of A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny by John R. (John Roy) Musick exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 269 sentences, grouped into 54 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 20 of A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of A Century Too Soon: The Age of Tyranny, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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