Henry Is Twenty

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Henry Is Twenty is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Samuel Merwin • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

|It would be ungracious to let this book go out into a preoccupied world without some word of gratitude to those who have written regarding the young Henry as he has appeared from month to month in a magazine.

The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

He isn't, of course, a hero at all.

Narrator

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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 I Reading 1/79

Henry Is Twenty

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Henry Is Twenty is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

Line 2

Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

Line 3

Line 4

The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

Line 5

He isn't, of course, a hero at all.

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.

Collins noun US /ˈkɑːlɪnz/

English writer noted for early detective novels (1824-1889)

From this reading “Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.”

Episodic adjective US /ˌepəˈsɑːdɪk/

of writing or narration; divided into or composed of episodes

From this reading “A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.”

fiction noun US /ˈfɪkʃən/

a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

From this reading “The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.”

imaginable adjective US /ˌɪˈmædʒənəbəl/

capable of being imagined

From this reading “The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.”

magazine noun US /ˈmæɡəziːn/

a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it

From this reading “|It would be ungracious to let this book go out into a preoccupied world without some word of gratitude to those who have written regarding the young Henry as he has appeared from month to month in a magazine.”

preoccupied adjective US /priˈɑːkjəpaɪd/

deeply absorbed in thought

regarding verb US /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/

-ing form of “regard” — deem to be

stimulating adjective US /ˈstɪmjəleɪtɪŋ/

rousing or quickening activity or the senses

From this reading “The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “He isn't, of course, a hero at all.”

go out verb + adjective

move out of or depart from

In this reading “|It would be ungracious to let this book go out into a preoccupied world without some word of gratitude to those who have written regarding the young Henry as he has appeared from month to month in a magazine.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

3rd

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

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

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 He isn't, of course, a hero at all.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading |It would be ungracious to let this book go out into a preoccupied world without some word of gratitude to those who have written regarding the young Henry as he has appeared from month to month in a magazine.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He isn't, of course, a hero at all.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

Calverly

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

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

CollinsnounUS /ˈkɑːlɪnz/

English writer noted for early detective novels (1824-1889)

From this reading Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading He isn't, of course, a hero at all.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

EpisodicadjectiveUS /ˌepəˈsɑːdɪk/

of writing or narration; divided into or composed of episodes

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

fictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/

a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

FurtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

gratitudenounUS /ˈɡrætətuːd/

a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

HenrynounUS /ˈhenri/

a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

heronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

HistorynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

imaginableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmædʒənəbəl/

capable of being imagined

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

isn't

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

From this reading He isn't, of course, a hero at all.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

kindliest

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

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

Ltd

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

From this reading Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

magazinenounUS /ˈmæɡəziːn/

a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

picturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

popularadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːpjələr/

regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

preoccupiedadjectiveUS /priˈɑːkjəpaɪd/

deeply absorbed in thought

regardingverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/

-ing form of “regard” — deem to be

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

SonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

stimulatingadjectiveUS /ˈstɪmjəleɪtɪŋ/

rousing or quickening activity or the senses

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading The letters have been the kindliest and most stimulating imaginable; and have surprised me, for I have never found it easy to picture Henry as a popular hero of fiction.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

ungraciousadjective

lacking charm and good taste

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

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

From this reading A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly, 3rd Wm.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

Chapter 1 of Henry Is Twenty by Samuel Merwin holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 1 of Henry Is Twenty contain?

Chapter 1 holds 398 sentences of Henry Is Twenty, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Henry Is Twenty by Samuel Merwin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 1 of Henry Is Twenty?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Henry Is Twenty

Common questions about reading Henry Is Twenty by Samuel Merwin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Henry Is Twenty?

Yes. All 8391 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51948 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Henry Is Twenty is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51948, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Henry Is Twenty take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1679 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Henry Is Twenty

Words and structures a reader meets early in Henry Is Twenty, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Further: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Henry Is Twenty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Episodic: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Henry Is Twenty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
History: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Henry Is Twenty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Henry: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Henry Is Twenty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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