A Singer from the Sea

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Singer from the Sea is here in full — 317 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Amelia E. Barr • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for A Singer from the Sea

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

"'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

'It is because I am repeating to myself, Write! write Of the valiant strength, The calm, brave bearing Of the sons of the sea.'" --FRENCH ROWING SONG "And that is why I have written this book Of the things that live in your noble hearts.

You are really the authors of it.

I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

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 I Reading 1/63

A Singer from the Sea

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Singer from the Sea is here in full — 317 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/63 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

Line 2

"'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

/tel miː maɪ oʊld frend tel miː waɪ juː sɪt ənd ˈsɔːftli læf baɪ jərˈself/

Line 3

/ɪt ɪz bɪˈkɔːz aɪ æm rɪˈpiːtɪŋ tuː ˌmaɪˈself raɪt raɪt ʌv ðə ˈvæl.jənt streŋkθ ðə kɑːm breɪv ˈberɪŋ ʌv ðə sʌnz ʌv ðə siː frentʃ ˈroʊɪŋ sɔːŋ ənd ðæt ɪz waɪ aɪ hæv ˈrɪtən ðɪs bʊk ʌv ðə θɪŋz ðæt laɪv ɪn jɔːr ˈnoʊbəl hɑːrts/

Line 4

You are really the authors of it.

/juː ɑːr ˈrɪli ðə ˈɔːθərz ʌv ɪt/

Line 5

I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

/aɪ hæv ˈoʊnli pʊt ˈɪntuː wɜːrdz ðə fræŋk sɪmˈplɪsəti ʌv jɔːr ˈseɪlər laɪf/

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.

authors noun US /ˈɔːθərz/

plural of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “You are really the authors of it.”

jan noun US /dʒæn/

the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.”

orange noun US /ˈɔːrəndʒ/

round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.”

repeating noun US /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/

the act of doing or performing again

From this reading “'It is because I am repeating to myself, Write! write Of the valiant strength, The calm, brave bearing Of the sons of the sea.'" --FRENCH ROWING SONG "And that is why I have written this book Of the things that live in your noble hearts.”

ribbon noun US /ˈrɪbən/

any long object resembling a thin line

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.”

rowing noun US /ˈroʊɪŋ/

the act of rowing as a sport

simplicity noun US /sɪmˈplɪsəti/

the quality of being simple or uncompounded

From this reading “I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."”

valiant adj US /ˈvæl.jənt/

Possessing or showing courage or determination; heroic. (Dũng cảm, quả cảm, anh hùng.)

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.

old friend adjective + noun

In this reading “"'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'”

noble hearts adjective + noun

In this reading “'It is because I am repeating to myself, Write! write Of the valiant strength, The calm, brave bearing Of the sons of the sea.'" --FRENCH ROWING SONG "And that is why I have written this book Of the things that live in your noble hearts.”

put into verb + particle

In this reading “I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."”

live in verb + particle

live in the house where one works

into words preposition + noun

In this reading “I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading 'It is because I am repeating to myself, Write! write Of the valiant strength, The calm, brave bearing Of the sons of the sea.'" --FRENCH ROWING SONG "And that is why I have written this book Of the things that live in your noble hearts.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading You are really the authors of it.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

authorsnounUS /ˈɔːθərz/

plural of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading You are really the authors of it.

bearingnounUS /ˈberɪŋ/

relevant relation or interconnection

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

BOWnounUS /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

ETC

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

frankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

FRENCHnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

FRIENDnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

heartsnounUS /hɑːrts/

a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

JANnounUS /dʒæn/

the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

OLIVIA

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

ORANGEnounUS /ˈɔːrəndʒ/

round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading You are really the authors of it.

repeatingnounUS /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/

the act of doing or performing again

RIBBONnounUS /ˈrɪbən/

any long object resembling a thin line

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

ROWINGnounUS /ˈroʊɪŋ/

the act of rowing as a sport

sailornounUS /ˈseɪlər/

any member of a ship's crew

From this reading I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

simplicitynounUS /sɪmˈplɪsəti/

the quality of being simple or uncompounded

From this reading I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

softlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːftli/

with low volume

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

SONGnounUS /sɔːŋ/

a short musical composition with words

sonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

TellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

valiantadjUS /ˈvæl.jənt/

Possessing or showing courage or determination; heroic. (Dũng cảm, quả cảm, anh hùng.)

VEDDER'S

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

WIFEnounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading AUTHOR OF "JAN VEDDER'S WIFE," "THE BOW OF ORANGE RIBBON," "FRIEND OLIVIA," ETC., ETC.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading I have only put into words The frank simplicity of your sailor life."

WriteverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading "'Tell me, my old friend, tell me why You sit and softly laugh by yourself.'

Chapter 1 of A Singer from the Sea by Amelia E. Barr holds 317 sentences, grouped into 64 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 1 of A Singer from the Sea contain?

Chapter 1 holds 317 sentences of A Singer from the Sea, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Singer from the Sea by Amelia E. Barr exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 317 sentences, grouped into 64 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 1 of A Singer from the Sea?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Singer from the Sea

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Is this the complete text of A Singer from the Sea?

Yes. All 5674 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29909 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #29909, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Singer from the Sea take to read?

About 472 minutes of reading across 1135 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Singer from the Sea

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Singer from the Sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Singer from the Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vedder's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Singer from the Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Orange: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Singer from the Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ribbon: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Singer from the Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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