Chapter 6 of Aurora Leigh is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Aurora Leigh is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘Of use!’ I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas. And we ... where tend we?’ ‘Where?’ he said, and sighed. ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
Chapter 6 of Aurora Leigh is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/64 · 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.
plural of “circle” — ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading “I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.”
the human act of creating
From this reading “‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.”
exasperate or irritate
From this reading “I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.”
plural of “flight” — a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading “I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.”
third-person singular of “perplex” — be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading “‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.”
creating thread
From this reading “I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.”
plural of “swallow” — a small amount of liquid food
From this reading “I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.”
have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined
From this reading “And we ... where tend we?’”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.”
In this reading “I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.”
prepare mentally or emotionally for something unpleasant
In this reading “I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.”
In this reading “I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
brought into existence
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
plural of “circle” — ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
the human act of creating
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
at any time
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
exasperate or irritate
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
plural of “flight” — a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘Where?’ he said, and sighed.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
throughout a period of time
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘Of use!’
third-person singular of “perplex” — be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘Where?’ he said, and sighed.
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
plural of “set” — a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading ‘Where?’ he said, and sighed.
with low volume
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
creating thread
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
plural of “swallow” — a small amount of liquid food
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
sweep across or over
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined
From this reading And we ... where tend we?’
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
not known
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
the act of using
From this reading ‘Of use!’
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
in or at the place that
From this reading And we ... where tend we?’
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
in the company of; together with
From this reading ‘The whole creation, from the hour we are born, Perplexes us with questions.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading I softly echoed, ‘there’s the point We sweep about for ever in argument; Like swallows, which the exasperate, dying year Sets spinning in black circles, round and round, Preparing for far flights o’er unknown seas.
Chapter 6 of Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning holds 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 6 holds 324 sentences of Aurora Leigh, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 65 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 6 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 Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3474 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56621 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56621, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 289 minutes of reading across 695 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Aurora Leigh section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Aurora Leigh 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 Aurora Leigh, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
