Chapter 5 of Anthem is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Anthem is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Then we knew nothing. We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell. We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands. But we could not move our body. Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.
Chapter 5 of Anthem is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading “Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.”
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading “We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.”
plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading “We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.”
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading “We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.”
moving swiftly
From this reading “We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.”
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading “We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “But we could not move our body.”
an enlarged and muscular saclike organ of the alimentary canal; the principal organ of digestion
From this reading “We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading But we could not move our body.
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But we could not move our body.
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But we could not move our body.
opinion or judgment
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
moving swiftly
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.
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 Then we knew nothing.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But we could not move our body.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But we could not move our body.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Then we knew nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.
an enlarged and muscular saclike organ of the alimentary canal; the principal organ of digestion
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We opened our eyes, lying on our stomach on the brick floor of a cell.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then we knew nothing.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Then we smiled, for we thought of the light and that we had not betrayed it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Then we knew nothing.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We looked upon two hands [-lying-] {+flying+} far before us on the bricks, and we moved them, and we knew that they were our hands.
Chapter 5 of Anthem by Ayn Rand holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 holds 209 sentences of Anthem, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Anthem by Ayn Rand exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 5 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 Anthem by Ayn Rand on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1404 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1249 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1249, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 117 minutes of reading across 281 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Anthem section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Anthem 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 Anthem, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
