From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine is here in full — 320 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

FROM CHAUCER TO SPENSER.

1400-1599.

The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

Narrator

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.

Chapter II Reading 1/64

From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine is here in full — 320 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/64 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

FROM CHAUCER TO SPENSER.

/frʌm ˈtʃɔːsər tuː ˈspensər/

Line 2

1400-1599.

Line 3

The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

Line 4

It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

/ɪt wɑːz ˈnɪrli tuː ˈhʌndrəd jɪrz ˈæftər ˈtʃɔːsərz deθ bɪˈfɔːr ˈeni ˈpoʊət keɪm huːz neɪm kæn biː ˈrɪtən ɪn ðə seɪm laɪn wɪð hɪz/

Line 5

He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

/hiː wɑːz ˈfɑːloʊd æt wʌns baɪ ə ˈnʌmbər ʌv ˈɪmɪteɪtərz huː kɑːt ðə trɪk ʌv hɪz ˈlæŋɡwədʒ ənd vɜːrs bʌt lækt ðə ˈdʒiːnjəs tuː meɪk ˈeni faɪn juːs ʌv ðem/

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.

barren adjective US /ˈbærən/

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading “The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.”

chaucer noun US /ˈtʃɔːsər/

English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)

From this reading “FROM CHAUCER TO SPENSER.”

Chaucer's noun US /ˈtʃɔːsərz/

possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)

From this reading “It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.”

imitators noun US /ˈɪmɪteɪtərz/

plural of “imitator” — someone who (fraudulently) assumes the appearance of another

From this reading “He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.”

lacked verb US /lækt/

past form of “lack” — be without

From this reading “He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.”

spenser noun US /ˈspensər/

English poet who wrote an allegorical romance celebrating Elizabeth I in the Spenserian stanza (1552-1599)

From this reading “FROM CHAUCER TO SPENSER.”

trick noun US /trɪk/

a cunning or deceitful action or device

From this reading “He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.”

verse noun US /vɜːrs/

literature in metrical form

From this reading “He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

1400

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

From this reading 1400-1599.

1599

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

From this reading 1400-1599.

15th

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

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

CHAUCERnounUS /ˈtʃɔːsər/

English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)

From this reading FROM CHAUCER TO SPENSER.

Chaucer'snounUS /ˈtʃɔːsərz/

possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading FROM CHAUCER TO SPENSER.

geniusnounUS /ˈdʒiːnjəs/

someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

imitatorsnounUS /ˈɪmɪteɪtərz/

plural of “imitator” — someone who (fraudulently) assumes the appearance of another

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

lackedverbUS /lækt/

past form of “lack” — be without

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/

of or relating to or characteristic of literature

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

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

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

periodnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/

an amount of time

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

poetnounUS /ˈpoʊət/

a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

SPENSERnounUS /ˈspensər/

English poet who wrote an allegorical romance celebrating Elizabeth I in the Spenserian stanza (1552-1599)

From this reading FROM CHAUCER TO SPENSER.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading FROM CHAUCER TO SPENSER.

tricknounUS /trɪk/

a cunning or deceitful action or device

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

versenounUS /vɜːrs/

literature in metrical form

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The 15th century was a barren period in English literary history.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He was followed at once by a number of imitators who caught the trick of his language and verse, but lacked the genius to make any fine use of them.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading It was nearly two hundred years after Chaucer's death before any poet came whose name can be written in the same line with his.

Chapter 2 of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine by Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers holds 320 sentences, grouped into 64 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.

What does chapter 2 of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine contain?

Chapter 2 holds 320 sentences of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine by Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 320 sentences, grouped into 64 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 2 of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine

Common questions about reading From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine by Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine?

Yes. All 3930 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11618 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11618, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine take to read?

About 327 minutes of reading across 786 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine section by section

How to work through From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 8 chapters of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine

Words and structures a reader meets early in From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Conquest: A word that appears in the opening chapter of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chaucer: A word that appears in the opening chapter of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Norman: A word that appears in the opening chapter of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
England: A word that appears in the opening chapter of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II · Chapter 2

What does chapter 2 of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine contain?

How do I study chapter 2 of From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine?

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine

How to read From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in From Chaucer to Tennyson With Twenty-Nine