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

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Essays and Lectures is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Essays and Lectures
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.
And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.
For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.
Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.
Who built the beautiful cities of the world but commercial men and commercial men only?
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 and Lectures

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Essays and Lectures is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.
Line 2
And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.
Line 3
For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.
Line 4
Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.
Line 5
Who built the beautiful cities of the world but commercial men and commercial men only?

All words in this reading · 80

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.

a

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

accident

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

act

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

after

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

And

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

are

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

art

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

as

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

assert

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

basis

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

be

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

beautiful

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

From this reading Who built the beautiful cities of the world but commercial men and commercial men only?

beauty

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

both

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

built

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

From this reading Who built the beautiful cities of the world but commercial men and commercial men only?

but

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

by

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

can

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

cities

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

civilised

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

come

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

commercial

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

content

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

Do

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

doing

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

few

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

For

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

here

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

human

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

I

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

if

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

in

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

is

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

it

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

leave

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

less

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

life

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

live

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

meant

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

men

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

mere

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

moment

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

most

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

nature

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

necessity

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

no

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

none

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

not

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

of

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

only

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

From this reading Who built the beautiful cities of the world but commercial men and commercial men only?

opposed

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

or

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

people

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

positive

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

say

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

so

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

spirit

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

suppose

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

take

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

than

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

That

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

the

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

them

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

themselves

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

thing

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

think

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

those

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

to

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

unless

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

us

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

venture

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

we

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

were

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

which

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

From this reading For that beauty which is meant by art is no mere accident of human life which people can take or leave, but a positive necessity of life if we are to live as nature meant us to, that is to say unless we are content to be less than men.

Who

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

From this reading Who built the beautiful cities of the world but commercial men and commercial men only?

world

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

From this reading Who built the beautiful cities of the world but commercial men and commercial men only?

would

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

From this reading That the beauty of life is a thing of no moment, I suppose few people would venture to assert.

wronging

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

yet

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

From this reading And yet most civilised people act as if it were of none, and in so doing are wronging both themselves and those that are to come after them.

your

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

From this reading Do not think that the commercial spirit which is the basis of your life and cities here is opposed to art.

Chapter 9 of Essays and Lectures by Oscar Wilde holds 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 9 of Essays and Lectures contain?

Chapter 9 holds 142 sentences of Essays and Lectures, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Essays and Lectures by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 9 of Essays and Lectures?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 and Lectures

Common questions about reading Essays and Lectures by Oscar Wilde on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Essays and Lectures?

Yes. All 1630 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #774 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Essays and Lectures is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #774, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Essays and Lectures take to read?

About 135 minutes of reading across 326 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Essays and Lectures section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Essays and Lectures 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 and Lectures

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

First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays and Lectures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Published
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays and Lectures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Limited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays and Lectures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays and Lectures; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.