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History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne
History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
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GEORGIAN POETRY.
I.
Edward Young.
"Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"
So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
GEORGIAN POETRY.
/ˈdʒɔːrdʒən ˈpoʊətri/
Line 2
I.
/aɪ/
Line 3
Edward Young.
/ˈedwərd jʌŋ/
Line 4
"Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"
/ɪz ɪt tuː ðə ˈkredət ɔːr dɪˈskredət ʌv jʌŋ æz ə ˈpoʊət ðæt ʌv hɪz naɪt θɔːts ðə frentʃ ɑːr ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli fɑːnd/
Line 5
So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

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.

asks verb US /æsks/

third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".”

credit noun US /ˈkredət/

approval

From this reading “"Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"”

Croft noun US /krɔːft/

a small farm worked by a crofter

From this reading “So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".”

discredit verb US /dɪˈskredət/

cause to be distrusted or disbelieved

From this reading “"Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"”

georgian noun US /ˈdʒɔːrdʒən/

a native or resident of the American state of Georgia

From this reading “GEORGIAN POETRY.”

Johnson's noun US /ˈdʒɑːnsənz/

possessive form of “johnson” — English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)

From this reading “So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".”

Poets noun US /ˈpoʊəts/

plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading “So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".”

sardonic adjective US /sɑːrˈdɑːnɪk/

disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking

From this reading “So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".”

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.

particularly fond adverb + adjective

In this reading “"Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"”

All words in this reading · 36

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 "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

asksverbUS /æsks/

third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

authornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

creditnounUS /ˈkredət/

approval

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

CroftnounUS /krɔːft/

a small farm worked by a crofter

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

discreditverbUS /dɪˈskredət/

cause to be distrusted or disbelieved

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

Dr

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

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

EdwardnounUS /ˈedwərd/

King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)

From this reading Edward Young.

fondadjectiveUS /fɑːnd/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

GEORGIANnounUS /ˈdʒɔːrdʒən/

a native or resident of the American state of Georgia

From this reading GEORGIAN POETRY.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

Johnson'snounUS /ˈdʒɑːnsənz/

possessive form of “johnson” — English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

LivesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

NightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

particularlyadverbUS /ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

poetnounUS /ˈpoʊət/

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

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

POETRYnounUS /ˈpoʊətri/

literature in metrical form

From this reading GEORGIAN POETRY.

PoetsnounUS /ˈpoʊəts/

plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

sardonicadjectiveUS /sɑːrˈdɑːnɪk/

disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So asks Croft, the sardonic author of a notice on Young in Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the Poets".

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

ThoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Is it to the credit or discredit of Young, as a poet, that of his 'Night Thoughts' the French are particularly fond?"

YoungadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading Edward Young.

Chapter 28 of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne by Andrew Lang holds 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 28 of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne contain?

Chapter 28 holds 167 sentences of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne by Andrew Lang exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 28 of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne

Common questions about reading History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne by Andrew Lang on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne?

Yes. All 8679 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56613 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #56613, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1736 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne

Words and structures a reader meets early in History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Literature
A word that appears in the opening chapter of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Modern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Country
A word that appears in the opening chapter of History of English Literature from "Beowulf" to Swinburne; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.