Chapter 1 of Bitter-Sweet: A Poem is here in full — 372 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Bitter-Sweet: A Poem is here in full — 372 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FIRST MOVEMENT--COLLOQUIAL. FIRST EPISODE. SECOND MOVEMENT--NARRATIVE. SECOND EPISODE. THIRD MOVEMENT--DRAMATIC.
Chapter 1 of Bitter-Sweet: A Poem is here in full — 372 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/74 · 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.
characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
From this reading “FIRST MOVEMENT--COLLOQUIAL.”
suitable to or characteristic of drama
From this reading “THIRD MOVEMENT--DRAMATIC.”
a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
From this reading “FIRST EPISODE.”
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “FIRST MOVEMENT--COLLOQUIAL.”
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading “FIRST MOVEMENT--COLLOQUIAL.”
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “SECOND MOVEMENT--NARRATIVE.”
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading “SECOND MOVEMENT--NARRATIVE.”
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading “THIRD MOVEMENT--DRAMATIC.”
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.
characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
From this reading FIRST MOVEMENT--COLLOQUIAL.
suitable to or characteristic of drama
From this reading THIRD MOVEMENT--DRAMATIC.
a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
From this reading FIRST EPISODE.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading FIRST MOVEMENT--COLLOQUIAL.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading FIRST MOVEMENT--COLLOQUIAL.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading SECOND MOVEMENT--NARRATIVE.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading SECOND MOVEMENT--NARRATIVE.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading THIRD MOVEMENT--DRAMATIC.
Chapter 1 of Bitter-Sweet: A Poem by J. G. (Josiah Gilbert) Holland holds 372 sentences, grouped into 75 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 372 sentences of Bitter-Sweet: A Poem, unabridged, divided into 75 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Bitter-Sweet: A Poem by J. G. (Josiah Gilbert) Holland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 372 sentences, grouped into 75 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 75 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 75 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 Bitter-Sweet: A Poem by J. G. (Josiah Gilbert) Holland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1493 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6442 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6442, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 124 minutes of reading across 299 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bitter-Sweet: A Poem section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Bitter-Sweet: A Poem 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 Bitter-Sweet: A Poem, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
