Chapter 1 of Desultory thoughts and reflections is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Desultory thoughts and reflections is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
REFLECTIONS. Vivere cogitare est. Life is measured but by thoughts and affections. They are the sun that shadows the dial. DESULTORY THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS.
Chapter 1 of Desultory thoughts and reflections is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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 “affection” — a positive feeling of liking
From this reading “Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.”
marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another
From this reading “DESULTORY THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS.”
the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
From this reading “They are the sun that shadows the dial.”
standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States
From this reading “Vivere cogitare est.”
having notes of fixed rhythmic value
From this reading “Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.”
plural of “reflection” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading “REFLECTIONS.”
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading “They are the sun that shadows the dial.”
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.”
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.
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.
plural of “affection” — a positive feeling of liking
From this reading Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They are the sun that shadows the dial.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vivere cogitare est.
marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another
From this reading DESULTORY THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS.
the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
From this reading They are the sun that shadows the dial.
standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States
From this reading Vivere cogitare est.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.
having notes of fixed rhythmic value
From this reading Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.
plural of “reflection” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading REFLECTIONS.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading They are the sun that shadows the dial.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading They are the sun that shadows the dial.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They are the sun that shadows the dial.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They are the sun that shadows the dial.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They are the sun that shadows the dial.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Life is measured but by thoughts and affections.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Vivere cogitare est.
Chapter 1 of Desultory thoughts and reflections by Marguerite, Countess of Blessington holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 403 sentences of Desultory thoughts and reflections, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Desultory thoughts and reflections by Marguerite, Countess of Blessington exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Desultory thoughts and reflections by Marguerite, Countess of Blessington on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 794 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75737 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75737, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 66 minutes of reading across 159 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Desultory thoughts and reflections section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Desultory thoughts and reflections 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 Desultory thoughts and reflections, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
