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

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters is here in full — 104 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for An Englishwoman's Love-Letters
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.
I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.
My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.
I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.
I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.
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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 XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters is here in full — 104 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.
/maɪ dɪr aɪ driːm ʌv juː naʊ ˈevəri naɪt ənd juː ɑːr ˈɔːlweɪz kaɪnd ˈɔːlweɪz dʒʌst æz aɪ nuː juː ðə seɪm wɪˈθaʊt ə ˈʃæd.oʊ ʌv tʃeɪndʒ/
Line 2
I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.
Line 3
My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.
/maɪ hɑːrt siːmz tuː hæv stɑːpt ɑːn ðə læst biːt ðə saɪt ʌv jɔːr ˈhændraɪtɪŋ ɡeɪv ɪt/
Line 4
I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.
/aɪ der nɑːt bɪd juː kʌm bæk naʊ ˈsɑːroʊ hæz meɪd miː ə ˈstreɪndʒər tuː ˌmaɪˈself/
Line 5
I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

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.

anyhow adverb US /ˈenihaʊ/

used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement

From this reading “I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.”

beat verb US /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading “My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.”

bid verb US /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading “I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.”

dare verb US /der/

take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading “I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.”

handwriting noun US /ˈhændraɪtɪŋ/

something written by hand

From this reading “My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.”

shadow noun US /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading “My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.”

sorrow noun US /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading “I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.”

Star noun US /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading “I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

anyhowadverbUS /ˈenihaʊ/

used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

beatverbUS /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

bidverbUS /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

cannot

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

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

dareverbUS /der/

take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

else

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

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

handwritingnounUS /ˈhændraɪtɪŋ/

something written by hand

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

picturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

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

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

StarnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading I could not look at you and say "I am your Star":--I could not believe it if I said it.

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading I dare not bid you come back now: sorrow has made me a stranger to myself.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I cannot picture you anyhow else, though my life is full of the silence you have made.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading My Dear: I dream of you now every night, and you are always kind, always just as I knew you: the same without a shadow of change.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading My heart seems to have stopped on the last beat the sight of your handwriting gave it.

Chapter 31 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters by Laurence Housman holds 104 sentences, grouped into 21 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 31 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters contain?

Chapter 31 holds 104 sentences of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters by Laurence Housman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 104 sentences, grouped into 21 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 31 of An Englishwoman's Love-Letters?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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

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  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.