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Emerson and Other Essays
Emerson and Other Essays

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Emerson and Other Essays is here in full — 467 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Emerson and Other Essays
Context Illustration Reading 1/93 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.
Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.
I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.
The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.
Masses!
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Emerson and Other Essays

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Emerson and Other Essays is here in full — 467 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/93 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.
Line 2
Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.
/ˈmæsəz ɑːr ruːd leɪm ənˈmeɪd pərˈnɪʃəs ɪn ðer dɪˈmændz ənd ˈɪnfluːəns ənd niːd nɑːt tuː biː ˈflætərd bʌt tuː biː skuːld/
Line 3
I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.
/aɪ wɪʃ nɑːt tuː kənˈsiːd ˈeniθɪŋ tuː ðem bʌt tuː teɪm drɪl dɪˈvaɪd ənd breɪk ðem ʌp ənd drɔː ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəlz aʊt ʌv ðem/
Line 4
The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.
/ðə wɜːrst ʌv ˈtʃerɪti ɪz ðæt ðə lɪvz juː ɑːr æskt tuː prəˈzɜːrv ɑːr nɑːt wɜːrθ prəˈzɜːrvɪŋ/
Line 5
Masses!
/ˈmæsəz/

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.

Catalog noun US /ˈkætəlɔːɡ/

a book or pamphlet containing an enumeration of things

From this reading “Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.”

concede verb US /kənˈsiːd/

admit (to a wrongdoing)

From this reading “I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.”

drill verb US /drɪl/

make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool

From this reading “I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.”

hypocritical adjective US /ˌhɪpəˈkrɪtɪkəl/

professing feelings or virtues one does not have

From this reading “Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.”

pernicious adjective US /pərˈnɪʃəs/

exceedingly harmful

From this reading “Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.”

schooled verb US /skuːld/

past form of “school” — educate in or as if in a school

From this reading “Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.”

sen noun US /sen/

a fractional monetary unit of Japan and Indonesia and Cambodia; equal to one hundredth of a yen or rupiah or riel

From this reading “Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.”

unmade adjective US /ənˈmeɪd/

(of a bed) not having the sheets and blankets set in order

From this reading “Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.”

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.

00619

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

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

1

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

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

108126

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

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

404

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

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

75

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

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

breakverbUS /breɪk/

terminate

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

CardnounUS /kɑːrd/

one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

CatalognounUS /ˈkætəlɔːɡ/

a book or pamphlet containing an enumeration of things

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

charitynounUS /ˈtʃerɪti/

a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

concedeverbUS /kənˈsiːd/

admit (to a wrongdoing)

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

CongressnounUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

demandsnounUS /dɪˈmændz/

plural of “demand” — an urgent or peremptory request

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

divideverbUS /dɪˈvaɪd/

separate into parts or portions

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

drawverbUS /drɔː/

cause to move by pulling

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

drillverbUS /drɪl/

make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

flatteredverbUS /ˈflætərd/

past form of “flatter” — praise somewhat dishonestly

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

hypocriticaladjectiveUS /ˌhɪpəˈkrɪtɪkəl/

professing feelings or virtues one does not have

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

individualsnounUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəlz/

plural of “individual” — a human being

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

influencenounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/

a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

lamenounUS /leɪm/

someone who doesn't understand what is going on

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

LeaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

LibrarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/

a room where books are kept

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/

the common people generally

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

NumbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

perniciousadjectiveUS /pərˈnɪʃəs/

exceedingly harmful

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

prating

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

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

preserveverbUS /prəˈzɜːrv/

keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

preservingverbUS /prəˈzɜːrvɪŋ/

-ing form of “preserve” — keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

rudeadjectiveUS /ruːd/

socially incorrect in behavior

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

schooledverbUS /skuːld/

past form of “school” — educate in or as if in a school

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

SENnounUS /sen/

a fractional monetary unit of Japan and Indonesia and Cambodia; equal to one hundredth of a yen or rupiah or riel

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

tameverbUS /teɪm/

correct by punishment or discipline

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-108126 SEN: 404-00619-1 "Leave this hypocritical prating about the masses.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

unmadeadjectiveUS /ənˈmeɪd/

(of a bed) not having the sheets and blankets set in order

From this reading Masses are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influence, and need not to be flattered, but to be schooled.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and break them up, and draw individuals out of them.

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The worst of charity is that the lives you are asked to preserve are not worth preserving.

Chapter 1 of Emerson and Other Essays by John Jay Chapman holds 467 sentences, grouped into 94 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 Emerson and Other Essays contain?

Chapter 1 holds 467 sentences of Emerson and Other Essays, unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Emerson and Other Essays by John Jay Chapman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 467 sentences, grouped into 94 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 Emerson and Other Essays?

Work through the 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 94 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 Emerson and Other Essays

Common questions about reading Emerson and Other Essays by John Jay Chapman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Emerson and Other Essays?

Yes. All 2294 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13088 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Emerson and Other Essays is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13088, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Emerson and Other Essays take to read?

About 191 minutes of reading across 459 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Emerson and Other Essays section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of Emerson and Other Essays 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 Emerson and Other Essays

Words and structures a reader meets early in Emerson and Other Essays, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Library
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Emerson and Other Essays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Congress
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Emerson and Other Essays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Catalog
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Emerson and Other Essays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Number
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Emerson and Other Essays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.