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A Romance of Youth — Complete
A Romance of Youth — Complete

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of A Romance of Youth — Complete is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Romance of Youth — Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The leaves are falling!
This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.
How soft the air is!
How calm and fresh!
This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.
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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 Romance of Youth — Complete

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of A Romance of Youth — Complete is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The leaves are falling!
/ðə liːvz ɑːr ˈfɑːlɪŋ/
Line 2
This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.
Line 3
How soft the air is!
Line 4
How calm and fresh!
Line 5
This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.
/ðɪs ɪz ˈsɜːrtənli wʌn ʌv ðə moʊst ˈbjuːtəfəl ʌv ˈɔːtəm deɪz/

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.

autumn noun US /ˈɔːtəm/

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading “This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.”

decline verb US /dɪˈklaɪn/

grow worse

From this reading “This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.”

deliciously adverb US /dɪˈlɪʃəʃli/

in a very pleasurable manner

From this reading “This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.”

majestically adverb US /məˈdʒestɪkəli/

in a majestic manner

From this reading “This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.”

October noun US /ɑːkˈtoʊbər/

the month following September and preceding November

From this reading “This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.”

prosperous adjective US /ˈprɑːspərəs/

in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich

From this reading “This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.”

reign verb US /reɪn/

have sovereign power

From this reading “This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.”

serene adjective US /sərˈiːn/

not agitated; without losing self-possession

From this reading “This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading How soft the air is!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The leaves are falling!

autumnnounUS /ˈɔːtəm/

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.

begunverbUS /bɪˈɡʌn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

From this reading How calm and fresh!

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.

declineverbUS /dɪˈklaɪn/

grow worse

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

deliciouslyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪʃəʃli/

in a very pleasurable manner

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

fallingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading The leaves are falling!

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading How calm and fresh!

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

grayish-blueadjective

of blue tinged with grey

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

grownadjectiveUS /ɡroʊn/

(of animals) fully developed

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

How

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

From this reading How soft the air is!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

leavesnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading The leaves are falling!

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

majesticallyadverbUS /məˈdʒestɪkəli/

in a majestic manner

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

OctobernounUS /ɑːkˈtoʊbər/

the month following September and preceding November

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading This is certainly one of the most beautiful of autumn days.

prosperousadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːspərəs/

in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

reignverbUS /reɪn/

have sovereign power

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

sereneadjectiveUS /sərˈiːn/

not agitated; without losing self-possession

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

shedverbUS /ʃed/

get rid of

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading How soft the air is!

steadyverbUS /ˈstedi/

make steady

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The leaves are falling!

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading This October afternoon is deliciously serene, there is not a cloud in the grayish-blue sky, where the sun, which has shed a pure and steady light since morning, has begun majestically to decline, like a good king who has grown old after a long and prosperous reign.

Chapter 17 of A Romance of Youth — Complete by François Coppée holds 121 sentences, grouped into 25 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 17 of A Romance of Youth — Complete contain?

Chapter 17 holds 121 sentences of A Romance of Youth — Complete, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of A Romance of Youth — Complete by François Coppée exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 17 of A Romance of Youth — Complete?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

Questions about reading A Romance of Youth — Complete

Common questions about reading A Romance of Youth — Complete by François Coppée on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Romance of Youth — Complete?

Yes. All 2965 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3962 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Romance of Youth — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3962, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Romance of Youth — Complete take to read?

About 247 minutes of reading across 593 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through A Romance of Youth — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in A Romance of Youth — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Romance of Youth — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Amedee
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Romance of Youth — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Violette
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Romance of Youth — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Remember
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Romance of Youth — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Himself
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Romance of Youth — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.