Chapter 11 of Comic Tragedies is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Comic Tragedies is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Nina. It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken? Don Felix [_kneeling_]. Here at thy feet, dear Nina. Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
Chapter 11 of Comic Tragedies is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading “It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?”
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading “It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?”
inflected form of “forsake” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?”
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading “Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.”
supporting yourself on your knees
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading “It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?”
an old word for “no”
From this reading “Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.”
the Babylonian goddess of the watery deep and daughter of Ea
From this reading “Nina.”
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.
move so as not face somebody or something
In this reading “Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.”
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 It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Here at thy feet, dear Nina.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
dearly loved
From this reading Here at thy feet, dear Nina.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
From this reading Don Felix [_kneeling_].
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Here at thy feet, dear Nina.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don Felix [_kneeling_].
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
inflected form of “forsake” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
an old form of “has”
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here at thy feet, dear Nina.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
supporting yourself on your knees
From this reading Don Felix [_kneeling_].
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
held dear
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
an old word for “no”
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
the Babylonian goddess of the watery deep and daughter of Ea
From this reading Nina.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
express in words
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading Here at thy feet, dear Nina.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
in or at the place that
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
which person or people
From this reading It were indeed a happy lot to be so loved and cherished; but where, alas, is he who could thus feel for one so lonely and forsaken?
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Nay, do not turn away, but let me tell thee of the love that hath grown within my heart.
Chapter 11 of Comic Tragedies by Louisa May Alcott holds 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 11 holds 443 sentences of Comic Tragedies, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Comic Tragedies by Louisa May Alcott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 11 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 Comic Tragedies by Louisa May Alcott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4770 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33986 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33986, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 397 minutes of reading across 954 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Comic Tragedies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Comic Tragedies 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 Comic Tragedies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
