A History of American Literature Since 1870

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A History of American Literature Since 1870 is here in full — 462 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fred Lewis Pattee • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Overwhelmingly was it an age of prose fiction.

He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XVI Reading 1/92

A History of American Literature Since 1870 Fred Lewis Pattee

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A History of American Literature Since 1870 is here in full — 462 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE TRIUMPH OF THE SHORT STORY Voluminous as may seem the poetry of the period when viewed by itself, it sinks into insignificance when viewed against the mass of prose that was contemporaneous with it. Overwhelmingly was it an age of prose fiction. He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable. To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible. For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

A History of American Literature Since 1870

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of A History of American Literature Since 1870 is here in full — 462 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/92 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

/ðə ˈtraɪəmf ʌv ðə ʃɔːrt ˈstɔːri vəˈluːmənəs æz meɪ siːm ðə ˈpoʊətri ʌv ðə ˈpɪriəd wen vjuːd baɪ ˌɪtˈself ɪt sɪŋks ˈɪntuː ˌɪnsɪɡˈnjɪfɪkəns wen vjuːd əˈɡenst ðə mæs ʌv proʊz ðæt wɑːz kənˌtempərˈeɪniəs wɪð ɪt/

Line 2

Overwhelmingly was it an age of prose fiction.

/ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋli wɑːz ɪt æn eɪdʒ ʌv proʊz ˈfɪkʃən/

Line 3

He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

/hiː huː ɪkˈsplɔːrz ɪt ɪˈmɜːrdʒɪz wɪð ðə ˌɪmˈpreʃən ðæt hiː hæz bɪn ˈθredɪŋ ə ˈdʒʌŋɡəl keɪˈɑːtɪk ənd ˌɪnˈtɜːrmənəbəl/

Line 4

To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

/tuː tʃɑːrt ɪt tuː faɪnd lɔː ənd ˈtendənsi ɪn ɪt siːmz æt fɜːrst ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

Line 5

For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

/fɔːr ə ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃən ɔːr mɔːr ˈevəri ˈraɪtər siːmz tuː hæv hæd leɪd əˈpɑːn hɪm ə nəˈsesəti fɔːr neˈreɪʃən/

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.

chaotic adjective US /keɪˈɑːtɪk/

lacking a visible order or organization

From this reading “He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.”

contemporaneous adjective US /kənˌtempərˈeɪniəs/

occurring in the same period of time

From this reading “THE TRIUMPH OF THE SHORT STORY Voluminous as may seem the poetry of the period when viewed by itself, it sinks into insignificance when viewed against the mass of prose that was contemporaneous with it.”

emerges verb US /ɪˈmɜːrdʒɪz/

third-person singular of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading “He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.”

explores verb US /ɪkˈsplɔːrz/

third-person singular of “explore” — inquire into

From this reading “He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.”

insignificance noun US /ˌɪnsɪɡˈnjɪfɪkəns/

the quality of having little or no significance

Overwhelmingly adverb US /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋli/

incapable of being resisted

From this reading “Overwhelmingly was it an age of prose fiction.”

threading verb US /ˈθredɪŋ/

-ing form of “thread” — to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

From this reading “He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.”

Voluminous adjective US /vəˈluːmənəs/

large in volume or bulk

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

into insignificance preposition + noun

In this reading “THE TRIUMPH OF THE SHORT STORY Voluminous as may seem the poetry of the period when viewed by itself, it sinks into insignificance when viewed against the mass of prose that was contemporaneous with it.”

sinks into verb + particle counted as “sink into”

SHORT STORY adjective + noun

a prose narrative shorter than a novel

All words in this reading · 66

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 He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading THE TRIUMPH OF THE SHORT STORY Voluminous as may seem the poetry of the period when viewed by itself, it sinks into insignificance when viewed against the mass of prose that was contemporaneous with it.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading Overwhelmingly was it an age of prose fiction.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Overwhelmingly was it an age of prose fiction.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

chaoticadjectiveUS /keɪˈɑːtɪk/

lacking a visible order or organization

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

chartnounUS /tʃɑːrt/

a visual display of information

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

contemporaneousadjectiveUS /kənˌtempərˈeɪniəs/

occurring in the same period of time

emergesverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒɪz/

third-person singular of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

exploresverbUS /ɪkˈsplɔːrz/

third-person singular of “explore” — inquire into

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

fictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/

a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

From this reading Overwhelmingly was it an age of prose fiction.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

generationnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃən/

all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

impressionnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃən/

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

insignificancenounUS /ˌɪnsɪɡˈnjɪfɪkəns/

the quality of having little or no significance

interminableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɜːrmənəbəl/

tiresomely long; seemingly without end

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

junglenounUS /ˈdʒʌŋɡəl/

a location marked by an intense competition and struggle for survival

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

laidadjectiveUS /leɪd/

set down according to a plan

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

lawnounUS /lɔː/

the collection of rules imposed by authority

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

narrationnounUS /neˈreɪʃən/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

necessitynounUS /nəˈsesəti/

the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

OverwhelminglyadverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋli/

incapable of being resisted

From this reading Overwhelmingly was it an age of prose fiction.

periodnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/

an amount of time

poetrynounUS /ˈpoʊətri/

literature in metrical form

prosenounUS /proʊz/

ordinary writing as distinguished from verse

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

SHORTadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

sinksnounUS /sɪŋks/

plural of “sink” — plumbing fixture consisting of a water basin fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe

STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

tendencynounUS /ˈtendənsi/

an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

threadingverbUS /ˈθredɪŋ/

-ing form of “thread” — to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To chart it, to find law and tendency in it, seems at first impossible.

TRIUMPHnounUS /ˈtraɪəmf/

a successful ending of a struggle or contest

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

viewedverbUS /vjuːd/

past form of “view” — deem to be

VoluminousadjectiveUS /vəˈluːmənəs/

large in volume or bulk

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He who explores it emerges with the impression that he has been threading a jungle chaotic and interminable.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

writernounUS /ˈraɪtər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading For a generation or more every writer seems to have had laid upon him a necessity for narration.

Chapter 16 of A History of American Literature Since 1870 by Fred Lewis Pattee holds 462 sentences, grouped into 93 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 16 of A History of American Literature Since 1870 contain?

Chapter 16 holds 462 sentences of A History of American Literature Since 1870, unabridged, divided into 93 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of A History of American Literature Since 1870 by Fred Lewis Pattee exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 462 sentences, grouped into 93 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.

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Work through the 93 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 93 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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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Yes. All 7966 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42593 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #42593, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1594 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XVI

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