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Confessions of an English Opium-Eater
Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”
But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.
Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.
Perhaps, however, enough has been given.
It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”
Line 2
But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.
/bʌt aɪ æm naʊ kɔːld əˈpɑːn tuː waɪnd ʌp ə ˈnærətɪv wɪtʃ hæz ɔːlˈredi ɪkˈstendəd tuː æn ənˈriːznəbəl leŋkθ/
Line 3
Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.
/wɪˈðɪn mɔːr ˈspeɪʃəs ˈlɪməts ðə məˈtɪriəlz wɪtʃ aɪ hæv juːzd maɪt hæv bɪn ˈbetər ənˈfoʊldɪd ənd mʌtʃ wɪtʃ aɪ hæv nɑːt juːzd maɪt hæv bɪn ˈædəd wɪð ɪˈfekt/
Line 4
Perhaps, however, enough has been given.
/pərˈhæps ˌhaʊˈevər ɪˈnʌf hæz bɪn ˈɡɪvən/
Line 5
It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.
/ɪt naʊ rɪˈmeɪnz ðæt aɪ ʃʊd seɪ ˈsʌmθɪŋ ʌv ðə weɪ ɪn wɪtʃ ðɪs ˈkɑːnflɪkt ʌv ˈhɔːrərz wɑːz ˈfaɪnəli brɔːt tuː ə ˈkraɪsəs/

Learner Dictionary

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.

crisis noun US /ˈkraɪsəs/

an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty

From this reading “It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.”

horrors noun US /ˈhɔːrərz/

plural of “horror” — intense and profound fear

From this reading “It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.”

limits noun US /ˈlɪməts/

plural of “limit” — the greatest possible degree of something

From this reading “Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.”

materials noun US /məˈtɪriəlz/

plural of “material” — the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

From this reading “Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.”

spacious adjective US /ˈspeɪʃəs/

very large in expanse or scope

From this reading “Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.”

struggles noun US /ˈstrʌɡəlz/

plural of “struggle” — an energetic attempt to achieve something

From this reading “And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.””

unfolded verb US /ənˈfoʊldɪd/

past form of “unfold” — develop or come to a promising stage

From this reading “Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.”

unreasonable adjective US /ənˈriːznəbəl/

not reasonable; not showing good judgment

From this reading “But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

aloudadverbUS /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

conflictnounUS /ˈkɑːnflɪkt/

an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

crisisnounUS /ˈkraɪsəs/

an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading Perhaps, however, enough has been given.

extendedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstendəd/

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Perhaps, however, enough has been given.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

horrorsnounUS /ˈhɔːrərz/

plural of “horror” — intense and profound fear

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Perhaps, however, enough has been given.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

limitsnounUS /ˈlɪməts/

plural of “limit” — the greatest possible degree of something

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

materialsnounUS /məˈtɪriəlz/

plural of “material” — the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

narrativenounUS /ˈnærətɪv/

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 But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Perhaps, however, enough has been given.

remainsnounUS /rɪˈmeɪnz/

any object that is left unused or still extant

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

spaciousadjectiveUS /ˈspeɪʃəs/

very large in expanse or scope

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

strugglesnounUS /ˈstrʌɡəlz/

plural of “struggle” — an energetic attempt to achieve something

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

unfoldedverbUS /ənˈfoʊldɪd/

past form of “unfold” — develop or come to a promising stage

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

unreasonableadjectiveUS /ənˈriːznəbəl/

not reasonable; not showing good judgment

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading It now remains that I should say something of the way in which this conflict of horrors was finally brought to a crisis.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading And I awoke in struggles, and cried aloud—“I will sleep no more.”

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading But I am now called upon to wind up a narrative which has already extended to an unreasonable length.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

WithinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Within more spacious limits the materials which I have used might have been better unfolded, and much which I have not used might have been added with effect.

Chapter 9 of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De Quincey holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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.

What does chapter 9 of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater contain?

Chapter 9 holds 115 sentences of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De Quincey exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 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.

How do I study chapter 9 of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater?

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.

Can chapter 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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.

Questions about reading Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

Common questions about reading Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De Quincey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater?

Yes. All 1072 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2040 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2040, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Confessions of an English Opium-Eater take to read?

About 89 minutes of reading across 215 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

Words and structures a reader meets early in Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Being
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Extract
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scholar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.