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Essays

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Essays is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A moment ago this art was declared not human.
And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.
The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.
Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.
But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Essays

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Essays is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A moment ago this art was declared not human.
/ə ˈmoʊmənt əˈɡoʊ ðɪs ɑːrt wɑːz dɪˈklerd nɑːt ˈhjuːmən/
Line 2
And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.
/ənd ɪn fækt ɪn noʊ ˈʌðər ɑːrt hæz ðə ˈfɪɡjər ˈsʌfərd sʌtʃ ˈkrʊkəd ˈhændlɪŋ/
Line 3
The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.
/ðə ˌdʒæpəˈniːz hæv ˈdʒenərəli ɪˈveɪdɪd ˈiːvɪn ðə ˈloʊkəl ˈbjuːti ʌv ðer oʊn reɪs fɔːr ðə seɪk ʌv pərˈpetʃuːəl slaɪt dɪˈfɔːrməti/
Line 4
Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.
/ðer ˈbjuːti ɪz rɪˈmoʊt frʌm ˈaʊər ˈsɪmpəθi ənd ˌædmərˈeɪʃən ənd ɪt ɪz kwaɪt ˈpɑːsəbəl ðæt wiː maɪt mɪs ɪt ɪn pɪkˈtɔːriəl ˌprezənˈteɪʃən ənd ðæt ðə ˌdʒæpəˈniːz ˈɑːrtəst meɪ hæv ˌɪnˈtendɪd ˈhjuːmən ˈbjuːti wer wiː duː nɑːt ˈrekəɡnaɪz ɪt/
Line 5
But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.
/bʌt ɪf ɪt ɪz nɑːt ˈiːzi tuː ˈrekəɡnaɪz ɪt ɪz ˈsɜːrtənli nɑːt ˈdɪfəkəlt tuː ɡes æt/

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.

crooked adjective US /ˈkrʊkəd/

having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned

From this reading “And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.”

deformity noun US /dɪˈfɔːrməti/

an affliction in which some part of the body is misshapen or malformed

From this reading “The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.”

evaded verb US /ɪˈveɪdɪd/

past form of “evade” — avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)

From this reading “The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.”

handling noun US /ˈhændlɪŋ/

manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something

From this reading “And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.”

Japanese noun US /ˌdʒæpəˈniːz/

a native or inhabitant of Japan

From this reading “The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.”

pictorial adjective US /pɪkˈtɔːriəl/

pertaining to or consisting of pictures

From this reading “Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.”

presentation noun US /ˌprezənˈteɪʃən/

the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward)

From this reading “Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.”

recognise verb US /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/

show approval or appreciation of

From this reading “Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 moment ago this art was declared not human.

admirationnounUS /ˌædmərˈeɪʃən/

a feeling of delighted approval and liking

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading A moment ago this art was declared not human.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

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

From this reading A moment ago this art was declared not human.

artistnounUS /ˈɑːrtəst/

a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.

crookedadjectiveUS /ˈkrʊkəd/

having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading A moment ago this art was declared not human.

deformitynounUS /dɪˈfɔːrməti/

an affliction in which some part of the body is misshapen or malformed

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.

evadedverbUS /ɪˈveɪdɪd/

past form of “evade” — avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

guessverbUS /ɡes/

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.

handlingnounUS /ˈhændlɪŋ/

manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading A moment ago this art was declared not human.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

JapanesenounUS /ˌdʒæpəˈniːz/

a native or inhabitant of Japan

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

localadjectiveUS /ˈloʊkəl/

relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

missverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading A moment ago this art was declared not human.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A moment ago this art was declared not human.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

perpetualadjectiveUS /pərˈpetʃuːəl/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

pictorialadjectiveUS /pɪkˈtɔːriəl/

pertaining to or consisting of pictures

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

presentationnounUS /ˌprezənˈteɪʃən/

the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward)

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

racenounUS /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

recogniseverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/

show approval or appreciation of

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

remoteadjectiveUS /rɪˈmoʊt/

located far away spatially

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

slightnounUS /slaɪt/

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

sympathynounUS /ˈsɪmpəθi/

an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And, in fact, in no other art has the figure suffered such crooked handling.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The Japanese have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake of perpetual slight deformity.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading A moment ago this art was declared not human.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But if it is not easy to recognise, it is certainly not difficult to guess at.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A moment ago this art was declared not human.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Their beauty is remote from our sympathy and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial presentation, and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty where we do not recognise it.

Chapter 10 of Essays by Alice Meynell holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 10 of Essays contain?

Chapter 10 holds 151 sentences of Essays, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Essays by Alice Meynell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 10 of Essays?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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.