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Essays — Second Series
Essays — Second Series

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Essays — Second Series is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.
Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.
And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.
Proportion is almost impossible to human beings.
There is no one who does not exaggerate.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Essays — Second Series

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Essays — Second Series is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.
/ðɪs ˈprefərəns ʌv ðə ˈdʒiːnjəs tuː ðə pɑːrts ɪz ðə ˈsiː.krət ʌv ðæt ˌdiːəfəˈkeɪʃən ʌv ɑːrt wɪtʃ ɪz faʊnd ɪn ɔːl suːˈpɪriər maɪndz/
Line 2
Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.
/ɑːrt ɪn ðə ˈɑːrtəst ɪz prəˈpɔːrʃən ɔːr ə həˈbɪtʃuːəl rɪˈspekt tuː ðə hoʊl baɪ æn aɪ ˈlʌvɪŋ ˈbjuːti ɪn dɪˈteɪlz/
Line 3
And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.
/ənd ðə ˈwʌndər ənd tʃɑːrm ʌv ɪt ɪz ðə ˈsænəti ɪn ˌɪnˈsænəti wɪtʃ ɪt dɪˈnoʊts/
Line 4
Proportion is almost impossible to human beings.
/prəˈpɔːrʃən ɪz ˈɔːlmoʊst ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl tuː ˈhjuːmən ˈbiːɪŋz/
Line 5
There is no one who does not exaggerate.
/ðer ɪz noʊ wʌn huː dʌz nɑːt ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt/

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.

deification noun US /ˌdiːəfəˈkeɪʃən/

the condition of being treated like a god

From this reading “This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.”

denotes verb US /dɪˈnoʊts/

third-person singular of “denote” — be a sign or indication of

From this reading “And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.”

exaggerate verb US /ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt/

to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth

From this reading “There is no one who does not exaggerate.”

habitual adjective US /həˈbɪtʃuːəl/

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading “Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.”

insanity noun US /ˌɪnˈsænəti/

relatively permanent disorder of the mind

From this reading “And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.”

preference noun US /ˈprefərəns/

a strong liking

From this reading “This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.”

proportion noun US /prəˈpɔːrʃən/

the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole

From this reading “Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.”

sanity noun US /ˈsænəti/

normal or sound powers of mind

From this reading “And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.”

All words in this reading · 49

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 Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

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 This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Proportion is almost impossible to human beings.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

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

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

artistnounUS /ˈɑːrtəst/

a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

beingsnounUS /ˈbiːɪŋz/

plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing

From this reading Proportion is almost impossible to human beings.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

charmnounUS /tʃɑːrm/

attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates

From this reading And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.

deificationnounUS /ˌdiːəfəˈkeɪʃən/

the condition of being treated like a god

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

denotesverbUS /dɪˈnoʊts/

third-person singular of “denote” — be a sign or indication of

From this reading And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading There is no one who does not exaggerate.

exaggerateverbUS /ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt/

to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth

From this reading There is no one who does not exaggerate.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

geniusnounUS /ˈdʒiːnjəs/

someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

habitualadjectiveUS /həˈbɪtʃuːəl/

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading Proportion is almost impossible to human beings.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading Proportion is almost impossible to human beings.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

insanitynounUS /ˌɪnˈsænəti/

relatively permanent disorder of the mind

From this reading And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.

lovingadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvɪŋ/

feeling or showing love and affection

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

mindsnounUS /maɪndz/

plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There is no one who does not exaggerate.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There is no one who does not exaggerate.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There is no one who does not exaggerate.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

partsnounUS /pɑːrts/

the local environment

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

preferencenounUS /ˈprefərəns/

a strong liking

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

proportionnounUS /prəˈpɔːrʃən/

the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

sanitynounUS /ˈsænəti/

normal or sound powers of mind

From this reading And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

superioradjectiveUS /suːˈpɪriər/

of high or superior quality or performance

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is no one who does not exaggerate.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading This preference of the genius to the parts is the secret of that deification of art, which is found in all superior minds.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading There is no one who does not exaggerate.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

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

From this reading Art, in the artist, is proportion, or a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details.

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.

Chapter 15 of Essays — Second Series by Ralph Waldo Emerson holds 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 15 of Essays — Second Series contain?

Chapter 15 holds 133 sentences of Essays — Second Series, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Essays — Second Series by Ralph Waldo Emerson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 15 of Essays — Second Series?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 — Second Series

Common questions about reading Essays — Second Series by Ralph Waldo Emerson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Essays — Second Series?

Yes. All 2456 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2945 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Essays — Second Series is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2945, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Essays — Second Series take to read?

About 204 minutes of reading across 492 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Essays — Second Series

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

Moody
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays — Second Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Child
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays — Second Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wildly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays — Second Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pursued
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays — Second Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.