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Eight Harvard Poets
Eight Harvard Poets

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Eight Harvard Poets is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/73 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.
A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.
The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.
She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...
Mine also, little painted poem of God.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Eight Harvard Poets

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Eight Harvard Poets is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/73 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.
Line 2
A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.
Line 3
The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.
Line 4
She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...
Line 5
Mine also, little painted poem of God.
/maɪn ˈɔːlsoʊ ˈlɪtəl ˈpeɪntɪd ˈpoʊəm ʌv ɡɑːd/

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.

breeds noun US /briːdz/

plural of “breed” — a special variety of domesticated animals within a species

From this reading “E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.”

cummings noun US /ˈkʌmɪŋz/

United States writer noted for his typographically eccentric poetry (1894-1962)

From this reading “E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.”

hungering verb US /ˈhʌŋɡərɪŋ/

-ing form of “hunger” — feel the need to eat

From this reading “E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.”

lintel noun US /ˈlɪntəl/

horizontal beam used as a finishing piece over a door or window

From this reading “She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...”

meads noun US /miːdz/

plural of “mead” — United States anthropologist noted for her claims about adolescence and sexual behavior in Polynesian cultures (1901-1978)

From this reading “E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.”

Ponder verb US /ˈpɑːndər/

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading “A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.”

tarnished verb US /ˈtɑːrnɪʃt/

past form of “tarnish” — make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically

From this reading “A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.”

tinsel verb US /ˈtɪnsəl/

impart a cheap brightness to

From this reading “A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.”

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.

vast armies adjective + noun counted as “vast army”

In this reading “E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.”

CHORUS GIRL noun + noun

a woman who dances in a chorus line

In this reading “A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.”

red mouth noun + noun

In this reading “A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.”

fair city adjective + noun

In this reading “E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.”

smile again verb + particle

In this reading “A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.”

breaks in verb + particle counted as “break in”

enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act

In this reading “She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...”

All words in this reading · 157

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 A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

acceptverbUS /ækˈsept/

consider or hold as true

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

agesnounUS /ˈeɪdʒəz/

plural of “age” — how long something has existed

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

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 E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Mine also, little painted poem of God.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

applausenounUS /əˈplɔːz/

a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

armiesnounUS /ˈɑːrmiz/

plural of “army” — a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

awaiteth

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

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

breadnounUS /bred/

food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

breakverbUS /breɪk/

terminate

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

breaksnounUS /breɪks/

plural of “break” — some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

breedsnounUS /briːdz/

plural of “breed” — a special variety of domesticated animals within a species

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

CHORUSnounUS /ˈkɔːrəs/

any utterance produced simultaneously by a group

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

communionnounUS /kəˈmjuːnjən/

the act of participating in the celebration of the Eucharist

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

CUMMINGSnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋz/

United States writer noted for his typographically eccentric poetry (1894-1962)

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

curtainnounUS /ˈkɜːrtən/

hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

Darklingadjective

uncannily or threateningly dark or obscure

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

DEEDSnounUS /diːdz/

performance of moral or religious acts

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

defeatnounUS /dɪˈfiːt/

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

didstauxiliary verbUS /dɪdst/

an old form of “did”, used with “thou”

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

dismaynounUS /dɪˈsmeɪ/

the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

dustverbUS /dʌst/

remove the dust from

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

ESTLIN

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/

occurring at or forming an end or termination

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

Froissart

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

gav'st

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

GIRLnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

gloriesnounUS /ˈɡlɔːriz/

plural of “glory” — a state of high honor

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Mine also, little painted poem of God.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

heroesnounUS /ˈhɪroʊz/

plural of “hero” — a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

heroicadjectiveUS /hɪˈroʊɪk/

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

hungeringverbUS /ˈhʌŋɡərɪŋ/

-ing form of “hunger” — feel the need to eat

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

immortaladjUS /ɪˈmɔːr.t̬əl/

Living forever; never dying or decaying. (Bất tử, trường tồn vĩnh cửu.)

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

laughedverbUS /læft/

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

LeavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

lightsnounUS /laɪts/

plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

LingeringnounUS /ˈlɪŋɡərɪŋ/

the act of tarrying

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

lintelnounUS /ˈlɪntəl/

horizontal beam used as a finishing piece over a door or window

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

LustnounUS /lʌst/

a strong sexual desire

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

MagdalennounUS /ˈmæɡdələn/

a reformed prostitute

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

marchingnounUS /ˈmɑːrtʃɪŋ/

the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

meadsnounUS /miːdz/

plural of “mead” — United States anthropologist noted for her claims about adolescence and sexual behavior in Polynesian cultures (1901-1978)

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

MinepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Mine also, little painted poem of God.

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

moveverbUS /muːv/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

MovingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/

in motion

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

neighing

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

others

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

paintedadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪntɪd/

coated with paint

From this reading Mine also, little painted poem of God.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

pausesnounUS /ˈpɔːzəz/

plural of “pause” — a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

poemnounUS /ˈpoʊəm/

a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading Mine also, little painted poem of God.

PonderverbUS /ˈpɑːndər/

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

praisenounUS /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

preciousadjectiveUS /ˈpreʃəs/

characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/

filled with shade

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She pauses, on the lintel of defeat, Her heart breaks in a smile--and she is Lust ...

SHINEverbUS /ʃaɪn/

be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

silentadjectiveUS /ˈsaɪlənt/

marked by absence of sound

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

sillyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪli/

ludicrous, foolish

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

smileless

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

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

soulsnounUS /soʊlz/

plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

soundsnounUS /saʊndz/

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

stagenounUS /steɪdʒ/

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

standardsnounUS /ˈstændərdz/

plural of “standard” — a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

steedsnounUS /stiːdz/

plural of “steed” — (literary) a spirited horse for state of war

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

steelnounUS /stiːl/

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

STORYnounUS /ˈstɔːri/

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 E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

strikesnounUS /straɪks/

plural of “strike” — a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

SWORD-GREAT

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

tarnishedverbUS /ˈtɑːrnɪʃt/

past form of “tarnish” — make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

THOUpronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

tinselverbUS /ˈtɪnsəl/

impart a cheap brightness to

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

treadverbUS /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

trodverbUS /trɑːd/

inflected form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

trumpetsnounUS /ˈtrʌmpəts/

pitcher plant of southeastern United States having erect yellow trumpet-shaped pitchers with wide mouths and erect lids

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

valornounUS /ˈvælər/

the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle)

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

vastadjectiveUS /væst/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

wedverbUS /wed/

take in marriage

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

WHOSEdeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading The lights have laughed their last; without, the street Darkling, awaiteth her whose feet have trod The silly souls of men to golden dust.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading A CHORUS GIRL When thou hast taken thy last applause, and when The final curtain strikes the world away, Leaving to shadowy silence and dismay That stage which shall not know thy smile again, Lingering a little while I see thee then Ponder the tinsel part they let thee play; I see the red mouth tarnished, the face grey, And smileless silent eyes of Magdalen.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading E. ESTLIN CUMMINGS [THOU IN WHOSE SWORD-GREAT STORY SHINE THE DEEDS] Thou in whose sword-great story shine the deeds Of history her heroes, sounds the tread Of those vast armies of the marching dead, With standards and the neighing of great steeds Moving to war across the smiling meads; Thou by whose page we break the precious bread Of dear communion with the past, and wed To valor, battle with heroic breeds; Thou, Froissart, for that thou didst love the pen While others wrote in steel, accept all praise Of after ages, and of hungering days For whom the old glories move, the old trumpets cry; Who gav'st as one of those immortal men His life that his fair city might not die.

Chapter 1 of Eight Harvard Poets by E. E. (Edward Estlin) [Contributor] Cummings holds 367 sentences, grouped into 74 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 Eight Harvard Poets contain?

Chapter 1 holds 367 sentences of Eight Harvard Poets, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Eight Harvard Poets by E. E. (Edward Estlin) [Contributor] Cummings exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 367 sentences, grouped into 74 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 Eight Harvard Poets?

Work through the 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 74 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 Eight Harvard Poets

Common questions about reading Eight Harvard Poets by E. E. (Edward Estlin) [Contributor] Cummings on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Eight Harvard Poets?

Yes. All 367 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36508 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Eight Harvard Poets is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36508, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Eight Harvard Poets take to read?

About 30 minutes of reading across 74 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Eight Harvard Poets section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Eight Harvard Poets 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 Eight Harvard Poets

Words and structures a reader meets early in Eight Harvard Poets, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Estlin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eight Harvard Poets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cummings
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eight Harvard Poets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eight Harvard Poets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sword-great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Eight Harvard Poets; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.