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Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry
Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CASSELL’S NATIONAL LIBRARY.
DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.
BY JOHN DRYDEN.
CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.
1888.
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Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CASSELL’S NATIONAL LIBRARY.
Line 2
DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.
/dɪˈskɔːrsɪz ɑːn ˈsætaɪər ənd ɑːn ˈepɪk ˈpoʊətri/
Line 3
BY JOHN DRYDEN.
/baɪ dʒɑːn ˈdraɪdən/
Line 4
CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.
Line 5
1888.

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.

discourses noun US /dɪˈskɔːrsɪz/

plural of “discourse” — extended verbal expression in speech or writing

From this reading “DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.”

dryden noun US /ˈdraɪdən/

the outstanding poet and dramatist of the Restoration (1631-1700)

From this reading “BY JOHN DRYDEN.”

epic adjective US /ˈepɪk/

very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)

From this reading “DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.”

limited adjective US /ˈlɪmətəd/

small in range or scope

From this reading “CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.”

melbourne noun US /ˈmelbərn/

a resort town in east central Florida

national adjective US /ˈnæʃənəl/

of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country

From this reading “CASSELL’S NATIONAL LIBRARY.”

poetry noun US /ˈpoʊətri/

literature in metrical form

From this reading “DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.”

satire noun US /ˈsætaɪər/

witty language used to convey insults or scorn

From this reading “DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.”

All words in this reading · 21

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.

1888

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 1888.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY JOHN DRYDEN.

CASSELL

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.

CASSELL'S

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading CASSELL’S NATIONAL LIBRARY.

COMPANYnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.

DISCOURSESnounUS /dɪˈskɔːrsɪz/

plural of “discourse” — extended verbal expression in speech or writing

From this reading DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.

DRYDENnounUS /ˈdraɪdən/

the outstanding poet and dramatist of the Restoration (1631-1700)

From this reading BY JOHN DRYDEN.

EPICadjectiveUS /ˈepɪk/

very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)

From this reading DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.

JOHNnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading BY JOHN DRYDEN.

LIBRARYnounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/

a room where books are kept

From this reading CASSELL’S NATIONAL LIBRARY.

LIMITEDadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/

small in range or scope

From this reading CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.

LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.

MELBOURNEnounUS /ˈmelbərn/

a resort town in east central Florida

From this reading CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.

NATIONALadjectiveUS /ˈnæʃənəl/

of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country

From this reading CASSELL’S NATIONAL LIBRARY.

NEWadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.

PARISnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.

POETRYnounUS /ˈpoʊətri/

literature in metrical form

From this reading DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.

SATIREnounUS /ˈsætaɪər/

witty language used to convey insults or scorn

From this reading DISCOURSES ON SATIRE AND ON EPIC POETRY.

YORKnounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: _LONDON_, _PARIS_, _NEW YORK & MELBOURNE_.

Chapter 1 of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry by John Dryden holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 1 of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry contain?

Chapter 1 holds 109 sentences of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry by John Dryden exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 1 of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry

Common questions about reading Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry by John Dryden on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry?

Yes. All 1771 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2615 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2615, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry take to read?

About 147 minutes of reading across 355 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry section by section

How to work through Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry

Words and structures a reader meets early in Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Cassell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
National
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Library
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Discourses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.