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An Englishwoman's Love-Letters
An Englishwoman's Love-Letters

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for An Englishwoman's Love-Letters
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!
I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.
Not yet, Beloved, oh, not yet!
Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!
I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.
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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.

An Englishwoman's Love-Letters

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!
Line 2
I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.
Line 3
Not yet, Beloved, oh, not yet!
/nɑːt jet bɪˈlʌvd oʊ nɑːt jet/
Line 4
Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!
Line 5
I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.
/aɪ wɪl nɑːt kɔːl ˈiːvɪn ðɪs ˈmɪdˈsʌmər ˌhaʊˈevər mʌtʃ ɪt siːmz soʊ ɪt ɪz stɪl ˈoʊnli sprɪŋ/

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.

begun verb US /bɪˈɡʌn/

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

From this reading “Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!”

Beloved adjective US /bɪˈlʌvd/

dearly loved

From this reading “Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!”

blank adjective US /blæŋk/

(of a surface) not written or printed on

From this reading “Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!”

ink noun US /ɪŋk/

a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing

From this reading “I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.”

midsummer noun US /ˈmɪdˈsʌmər/

June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point

From this reading “I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.”

staring adjective US /ˈsterɪŋ/

(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder

From this reading “Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!”

wishing noun US /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/

a specific feeling of desire

From this reading “Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!”

wondering adjective US /ˈwʌndərɪŋ/

showing curiosity

From this reading “Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!”

All words in this reading · 70

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

begunverbUS /bɪˈɡʌn/

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

From this reading Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!

BelovedadjectiveUS /bɪˈlʌvd/

dearly loved

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/

(of a surface) not written or printed on

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

feelverbUS /fiːl/

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

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

how

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

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

inknounUS /ɪŋk/

a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

midsummernounUS /ˈmɪdˈsʌmər/

June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

MostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

ohnounUS /oʊ/

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

From this reading Not yet, Beloved, oh, not yet!

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

penful

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

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

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

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

springnounUS /sprɪŋ/

the season of growth

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

staringadjectiveUS /ˈsterɪŋ/

(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading I will not call even this "midsummer," however much it seems so: it is still only spring.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Nothing is finished that we have to do and be:--hardly begun!

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

wishingnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/

a specific feeling of desire

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

wonderingadjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərɪŋ/

showing curiosity

From this reading Most Beloved: I have been thinking, staring at this blank piece of paper, and wondering how _there_ am I ever to say what I have in me here--not wishing to say anything at all, but just to be!

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Not yet, Beloved, oh, not yet!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I feel that I am living now only because you love me: and that my life will have run out, like this penful of ink, when that use in me is past.

Chapter 3 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters by Laurence Housman holds 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 3 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters contain?

Chapter 3 holds 44 sentences of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters by Laurence Housman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 3 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 An Englishwoman's Love-Letters

Common questions about reading An Englishwoman's Love-Letters by Laurence Housman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters?

Yes. All 2382 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15941 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15941, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does An Englishwoman's Love-Letters take to read?

About 198 minutes of reading across 477 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read An Englishwoman's Love-Letters section by section

How to work through An Englishwoman's Love-Letters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in An Englishwoman's Love-Letters

Words and structures a reader meets early in An Englishwoman's Love-Letters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Beloved
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Written
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.