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Disenchantment
Disenchantment

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Disenchantment is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Disenchantment
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
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See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."
That was their ailment, in outline.
The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.
They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.
No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Disenchantment

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Disenchantment is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."
Line 2
That was their ailment, in outline.
/ðæt wɑːz ðer ˈeɪlmənt ɪn ˈaʊtlaɪn/
Line 3
The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.
/ðə ˈɡɪftəd wʌnz ɑːr naʊ ˈkʌmɪŋ daʊn tuː dɪˈteɪl/
Line 4
They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.
Line 5
No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.
/noʊ daʊt dɪsɪnˈtʃæntmənt hæz ˈflɜːrɪʃt bɪˈfɔːr/

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.

ailment noun US /ˈeɪlmənt/

an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining

From this reading “That was their ailment, in outline.”

disenchantment noun US /dɪsɪnˈtʃæntmənt/

freeing from false belief or illusions

From this reading “No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.”

flourished verb US /ˈflɜːrɪʃt/

past form of “flourish” — grow vigorously

From this reading “No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.”

gifted adjective US /ˈɡɪftəd/

endowed with talent or talents

From this reading “The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.”

goblin noun US /ˈɡɑːblɪn/

(folklore) a small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings

From this reading “They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.”

outline noun US /ˈaʊtlaɪn/

the line that appears to bound an object

From this reading “That was their ailment, in outline.”

web noun US /web/

an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving

From this reading “They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.”

woven adjective US /ˈwoʊvən/

made or constructed by interlacing threads or strips of material or other elements into a whole

From this reading “They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

came back verb + particle counted as “come back”

be restored

In this reading “See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."”

young people adjective + noun

In this reading “See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."”

full details adjective + noun

In this reading “They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

ailmentnounUS /ˈeɪlmənt/

an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining

From this reading That was their ailment, in outline.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.

detailnounUS /dɪˈteɪl/

an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole

From this reading The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

disenchantmentnounUS /dɪsɪnˈtʃæntmənt/

freeing from false belief or illusions

From this reading No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.

doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

fairlyadverbUS /ˈferli/

to certain extent or degree

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

fednounUS /fed/

any federal law-enforcement officer

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

flourishedverbUS /ˈflɜːrɪʃt/

past form of “flourish” — grow vigorously

From this reading No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

giftedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪftəd/

endowed with talent or talents

From this reading The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

goblinnounUS /ˈɡɑːblɪn/

(folklore) a small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

https

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

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading That was their ailment, in outline.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No doubt disenchantment has flourished before.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

onesnounUS /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The gifted ones are now coming down to detail.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

outlinenounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪn/

the line that appears to bound an object

From this reading That was their ailment, in outline.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

painnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading That was their ailment, in outline.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

ungifted

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

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading That was their ailment, in outline.

webnounUS /web/

an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

wovenadjectiveUS /ˈwoʊvən/

made or constructed by interlacing threads or strips of material or other elements into a whole

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading They say that a web has been woven over the sky, or that something or other has made a goblin of the sun--about as full details of a pain as you can fairly expect a gifted person to give, although he really may feel it.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading See https:// All the ungifted young people came back from the war to tell us that they were "fed up."

Chapter 1 of Disenchantment by C. E. (Charles Edward) Montague holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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.

What does chapter 1 of Disenchantment contain?

Chapter 1 holds 107 sentences of Disenchantment, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Disenchantment by C. E. (Charles Edward) Montague exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 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 Disenchantment?

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 Disenchantment

Common questions about reading Disenchantment by C. E. (Charles Edward) Montague on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Disenchantment?

Yes. All 2366 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60332 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Disenchantment is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #60332, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Disenchantment take to read?

About 197 minutes of reading across 474 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Disenchantment section by section

How to work through Disenchantment section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Disenchantment 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 Disenchantment

Words and structures a reader meets early in Disenchantment, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Disenchantment; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ungifted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Disenchantment; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Disenchantment; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
People
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Disenchantment; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.