Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Essays
Essays

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Essays is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Essays
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.
It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.
Mrs. Micawber never does desert Mr. Micawber.
Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.
Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.
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.

Essays

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Essays is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.
Line 2
It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.
/ɪt dʌz nɑːt bɪd ʌs ˈfɑːloʊ mæn ɔːr ˈwʊmən tuː æn ˌɪˈlɑːdʒɪkəl kənˈkluːʒən/
Line 3
Mrs. Micawber never does desert Mr. Micawber.
Line 4
Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.
/kənˈsɪdərɪŋ hɜːr ˈmentəl ˈpaʊərz baɪ ðə weɪ æn ˌɪˈlɑːdʒɪkəl kənˈkluːʒən fɔːr hɜːr wʊd biː ˈmænəfestli ˌɪnəˈproʊpriɪt/
Line 5
Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.
/ˈʃeɪkspiːr ˌɪnˈdiːd ˈhævɪŋ siːn ə laɪf hoʊl siːz ɪt tuː æn end siːz ɪt aʊt ənd ˈfɔːlstæf daɪz/

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.

corrects verb US /kərˈekts/

third-person singular of “correct” — make right or correct

From this reading “Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.”

dies noun US /daɪz/

plural of “die” — a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers

From this reading “Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.”

Falstaff noun US /ˈfɔːlstæf/

a dissolute character in Shakespeare's plays

From this reading “Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.”

illogical adjective US /ˌɪˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/

lacking in correct logical relation

From this reading “It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.”

immortal adj US /ɪˈmɔːr.t̬əl/

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

From this reading “Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.”

inappropriate adjective US /ˌɪnəˈproʊpriɪt/

not suitable for a particular occasion etc

From this reading “Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.”

manifestly adverb US /ˈmænəfestli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading “Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.”

Shakespeare noun US /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading “Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

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 Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

bidverbUS /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

conclusionnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

ConsideringverbUS /kənˈsɪdərɪŋ/

-ing form of “consider” — deem to be

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

correctsverbUS /kərˈekts/

third-person singular of “correct” — make right or correct

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

desertverbUS /ˈdezərt/

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading Mrs. Micawber never does desert Mr. Micawber.

diesnounUS /daɪz/

plural of “die” — a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

disproportionnoun

lack of proportion; imbalance among the parts of something

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

FalstaffnounUS /ˈfɔːlstæf/

a dissolute character in Shakespeare's plays

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

followverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊ/

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

HappyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

illogicaladjectiveUS /ˌɪˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/

lacking in correct logical relation

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

immortaladjUS /ɪˈmɔːr.t̬əl/

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

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

inappropriateadjectiveUS /ˌɪnəˈproʊpriɪt/

not suitable for a particular occasion etc

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

literaturenounUS /ˈlɪtərətʃər/

creative writing of recognized artistic value

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

manifestlyadverbUS /ˈmænəfestli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

mentaladjectiveUS /ˈmentəl/

involving the mind or an intellectual process

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

Micawbernoun

fictional character created by Charles Dickens; an eternal optimist

From this reading Mrs. Micawber never does desert Mr. Micawber.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mrs. Micawber never does desert Mr. Micawber.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Mrs. Micawber never does desert Mr. Micawber.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Mrs. Micawber never does desert Mr. Micawber.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

pausenounUS /pɔːz/

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

powersnounUS /ˈpaʊərz/

plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

seesnounUS /siːz/

plural of “see” — the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Happy literature corrects all this disproportion by its immortal pause.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Shakespeare, indeed, having seen a life whole, sees it to an end: sees it out, and Falstaff dies.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading It does not bid us follow man or woman to an illogical conclusion.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Considering her mental powers, by the way, an illogical conclusion for her would be manifestly inappropriate.

Chapter 6 of Essays by Alice Meynell holds 159 sentences, grouped into 32 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 6 of Essays contain?

Chapter 6 holds 159 sentences of Essays, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Essays by Alice Meynell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 6 of Essays?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Essays

Common questions about reading Essays by Alice Meynell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Essays?

Yes. All 2777 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1434 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Essays is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1434, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Essays take to read?

About 231 minutes of reading across 556 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Essays section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of 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 Essays

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

Ceres'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Runaway
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wells
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tethered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.