Chapter 1 of Following darkness is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Following darkness is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AUTHOR OF “THE BRACKNELS,” ETC. “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!” SHELLEY. TO E. M. F. It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
Chapter 1 of Following darkness is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a biography of yourself
From this reading “It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.”
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading ““Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!””
A small part broken or separated off something larger.
From this reading “It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.”
indecision in speech or action
From this reading “It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.”
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.”
-ing form of “obey” — be obedient to
From this reading “It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.”
easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind
From this reading “It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.”
English writer who created Frankenstein's monster and married Percy Bysshe Shelley (1797-1851)
From this reading “SHELLEY.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.”
In this reading ““Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!””
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE BRACKNELS,” ETC.
a biography of yourself
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE BRACKNELS,” ETC.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading TO E. M. F.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE BRACKNELS,” ETC.
divisible by two
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
at any time
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature
From this reading TO E. M. F.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
A small part broken or separated off something larger.
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
indecision in speech or action
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading TO E. M. F.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
-ing form of “obey” — be obedient to
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE BRACKNELS,” ETC.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
lacking pathways
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
English writer who created Frankenstein's monster and married Percy Bysshe Shelley (1797-1851)
From this reading SHELLEY.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE BRACKNELS,” ETC.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO E. M. F.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading “Lost, lost, for ever lost, In the wide pathless desert of dim sleep, That beautiful shape!”
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading It is not without some hesitation that I offer to the public the following fragment of an autobiography, even though in doing so I am but obeying the obvious intention of its author.
Chapter 1 of Following darkness by Forrest Reid holds 108 sentences, grouped into 22 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.
Chapter 1 holds 108 sentences of Following darkness, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Following darkness by Forrest Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 108 sentences, grouped into 22 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.
Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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.
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.
Common questions about reading Following darkness by Forrest Reid on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6045 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75675 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75675, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 503 minutes of reading across 1209 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Following darkness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Following darkness to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Following darkness, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
