Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Elegies and Other Small Poems
Elegies and Other Small Poems

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Elegies and Other Small Poems is here in full — 317 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Elegies and Other Small Poems
Context Illustration Reading 34/63 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.
LA FORTUNA.
DELLO STESSO.
A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.
Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Elegies and Other Small Poems

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Elegies and Other Small Poems is here in full — 317 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 34/63 · 5 reading units · Lines 166–170

Line 1
Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.
Line 2
LA FORTUNA.
/lɑː fɔːrˈtuːnə/
Line 3
DELLO STESSO.
Line 4
A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.
Line 5
Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

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.

chi noun US /kaɪ/

the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health

From this reading “A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.”

contain verb US /kənˈteɪn/

include or contain; have as a component

From this reading “Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.”

fortuna noun US /fɔːrˈtuːnə/

(Roman mythology) the goddess of fortune and good luck; counterpart of Greek Tyche

From this reading “LA FORTUNA.”

mar verb US /mɑːr/

make imperfect

From this reading “Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.”

miro noun US /ˈmɪroʊ/

New Zealand conifer used for lumber; the dark wood is used for interior carpentry

From this reading “A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.”

non adverb US /nɑːn/

negation of a word or group of words

From this reading “Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.”

sweeps noun US /swiːps/

plural of “sweep” — a wide scope

From this reading “Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.”

turbid adjective US /ˈtɜːrbɪd/

(of liquids) clouded as with sediment

From this reading “Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

AlwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

bosco

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

bosomnounUS /ˈbʊzəm/

the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

chinounUS /kaɪ/

the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

Chiaro

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

cielo

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

containverbUS /kənˈteɪn/

include or contain; have as a component

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

DELLO

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

From this reading DELLO STESSO.

di

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

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 Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

FORTUNAnounUS /fɔːrˈtuːnə/

(Roman mythology) the goddess of fortune and good luck; counterpart of Greek Tyche

From this reading LA FORTUNA.

fosco

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

Fronde

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

gelo

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

germogliar

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

gironoun

a check given by the British government to someone who is unemployed; it can be cashed either at a bank or at the post office

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

gli

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

guardo

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

ilnounUS /ɪl/

a midwestern state in north-central United States

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

ionounUS /ˈaɪoʊ/

(Greek mythology) a maiden seduced by Zeus; when Hera was about to discover them together Zeus turned her into a white heifer

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

LAnounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading LA FORTUNA.

lui

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

ManounUS /mɑː/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

marverbUS /mɑːr/

make imperfect

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

mironounUS /ˈmɪroʊ/

New Zealand conifer used for lumber; the dark wood is used for interior carpentry

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

nel

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

niega

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

nonadverbUS /nɑːn/

negation of a word or group of words

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

NorconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

notte

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

Onde

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

perprepositionUS /pɜːr/

for each

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

senounUS /seɪ/

a toxic nonmetallic element related to sulfur and tellurium

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

serena

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

shipwrecks

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

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

STESSO

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

From this reading DELLO STESSO.

stormverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

sweepsnounUS /swiːps/

plural of “sweep” — a wide scope

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

taluno

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

terra

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

threateningadjectiveUS /ˈθretənɪŋ/

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

thunder-bolt

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

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

Torbido

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

Torna

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

trova

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

From this reading Ma se a taluno io giro Torbido il guardo, e fosco, Fronde gli niega il bosco, Onde non trova in mar.

turbidadjectiveUS /ˈtɜːrbɪd/

(of liquids) clouded as with sediment

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Not big with shipwrecks every storm, That sweeps the bosom of the main, Nor does the threatening, turbid sky, Always the thunder-bolt contain.

è

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

From this reading A chi serena io miro, Chiaro è di notte il cielo: Torna per lui nel gelo La terra a germogliar.

Chapter 2 of Elegies and Other Small Poems by Matilda Betham holds 317 sentences, grouped into 64 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 2 of Elegies and Other Small Poems contain?

Chapter 2 holds 317 sentences of Elegies and Other Small Poems, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Elegies and Other Small Poems by Matilda Betham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 317 sentences, grouped into 64 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 2 of Elegies and Other Small Poems?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Elegies and Other Small Poems

Common questions about reading Elegies and Other Small Poems by Matilda Betham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Elegies and Other Small Poems?

Yes. All 633 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11193 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Elegies and Other Small Poems is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11193, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Elegies and Other Small Poems take to read?

About 52 minutes of reading across 127 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Elegies and Other Small Poems section by section

How to work through Elegies and Other Small Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Elegies and Other Small Poems 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 Elegies and Other Small Poems

Words and structures a reader meets early in Elegies and Other Small Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Matilda
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elegies and Other Small Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Betham
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elegies and Other Small Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jerningham
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elegies and Other Small Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Endearing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elegies and Other Small Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.