Chapter 1 of An ode is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of An ode is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY. BY CHARLES SPRAGUE. BOSTON: John H. Eastburn ... City Printer. MDCCCXXX.
Chapter 1 of An ode is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading “pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.”
a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event
From this reading “pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.”
the 100th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
From this reading “pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.”
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading “BY CHARLES SPRAGUE.”
plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading “pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.”
someone whose occupation is printing
From this reading “City Printer.”
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading “pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.”
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading “pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.”
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.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY CHARLES SPRAGUE.
a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
the 100th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading BY CHARLES SPRAGUE.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BOSTON: John H. Eastburn ...
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading BOSTON: John H. Eastburn ...
plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading BOSTON: John H. Eastburn ...
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MDCCCXXX.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
someone whose occupation is printing
From this reading City Printer.
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY CHARLES SPRAGUE.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading pronounced before the INHABITANTS OF BOSTON, at the CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of the SETTLEMENT OF THE CITY.
Chapter 1 of An ode by Charles Sprague holds 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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.
Chapter 1 holds 113 sentences of An ode, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of An ode by Charles Sprague exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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.
Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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.
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.
Common questions about reading An ode by Charles Sprague on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 113 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22626 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22626, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 9 minutes of reading across 23 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through An ode section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of An ode to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in An ode, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
