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Alfred Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson

Chapter II

Cover illustration for Alfred Tennyson
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.
It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”
Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.
A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.
{39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”
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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.

Alfred Tennyson

Chapter II

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.
Line 2
It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”
Line 3
Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.
Line 4
A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.
Line 5
{39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.””

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “{39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.””

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.”

None pronoun US /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading “In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.”

Perhaps noun US /perhaps/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.”

Precious adjective US /ˈpreʃəs/

rare and worth a great deal

From this reading “In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.”

All words in this reading · 61

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1842

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

39

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

appear

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

Arthurian

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

From this reading Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

bad

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

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

cheap

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

From this reading A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.

companion

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

From this reading A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.

copy

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

From this reading A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.

d'Arthur

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

deep

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

From this reading Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.

deeply

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

earlier

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

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

French

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

German

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

gone

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

literature

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.

Malory

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

From this reading A little cheap copy of Malory was his companion.

marvellous

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

more

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

Morte

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

perdurable

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

perfect

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

perhaps

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

poet

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

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

preciousadjectiveUS /ˈpreʃəs/

rare and worth a great deal

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

pronounced

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

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

seven

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

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

splendid

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

student

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

From this reading Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.

subject

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

Tennyson

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

From this reading Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

things

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading {39} He does not appear to have gone deeply into the French and German “literature of the subject.”

treasure

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

very

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

From this reading Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.

volumes

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

From this reading In so marvellous a treasure of precious things as the volumes of 1842, perhaps none is more splendid, perfect, and perdurable than the _Morte d’Arthur_.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Tennyson was never, perhaps, a very deep Arthurian student.

written

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

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”

years

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

From this reading It had been written seven years earlier, and pronounced by the poet “not bad.”