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In the Whirl of the Rising
In the Whirl of the Rising

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of In the Whirl of the Rising is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for In the Whirl of the Rising
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.
________________________________________________________________________ IN THE WHIRL OF THE RISING, BY BERTRAM MITFORD.
PROLOGUE.
"You coward!"
The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.
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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.

In the Whirl of the Rising

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of In the Whirl of the Rising is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.
Line 2
________________________________________________________________________ IN THE WHIRL OF THE RISING, BY BERTRAM MITFORD.
Line 3
PROLOGUE.
/ˈproʊlɑːɡ/
Line 4
"You coward!"
/juː ˈkaʊərd/
Line 5
The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

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.

coward noun US /ˈkaʊərd/

a person who shows fear or timidity

From this reading “"You coward!"”

crisply adverb US /ˈkrɪspli/

in a well delineated manner

From this reading “The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.”

frosty adjective US /ˈfrɔːsti/

devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain

From this reading “The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.”

lashing noun US /ˈlæʃɪŋ/

beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment

From this reading “The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.”

musical adjective US /ˈmjuːzɪkəl/

characterized by or capable of producing music

From this reading “The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.”

pines noun US /paɪnz/

plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree

From this reading “The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.”

prologue noun US /ˈproʊlɑːɡ/

an introduction to a play

From this reading “PROLOGUE.”

Whirl verb US /wɜːrl/

turn in a twisting or spinning motion

From this reading “In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.”

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.

frosty air adjective + noun

In this reading “The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.”

Whirl of verb + particle

In this reading “In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.”

All words in this reading · 35

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.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

Bertram

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

From this reading In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

cowardnounUS /ˈkaʊərd/

a person who shows fear or timidity

From this reading "You coward!"

crisplyadverbUS /ˈkrɪspli/

in a well delineated manner

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

crystal-spangled

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

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

cutverbUS /kʌt/

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

frostyadjectiveUS /ˈfrɔːsti/

devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

ice-bound

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

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.

keenadjectiveUS /kiːn/

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

lashingnounUS /ˈlæʃɪŋ/

beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

Mitfordnoun

United States writer (born in England) who wrote on American culture (1917-1996)

From this reading In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.

musicaladjectiveUS /ˈmjuːzɪkəl/

characterized by or capable of producing music

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.

pinesnounUS /paɪnz/

plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

PROLOGUEnounUS /ˈproʊlɑːɡ/

an introduction to a play

From this reading PROLOGUE.

ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

RisingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

skate-blades

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

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

stirredadjectiveUS /stɜːrd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

surfacenounUS /ˈsɜːrfəs/

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

WhirlverbUS /wɜːrl/

turn in a twisting or spinning motion

From this reading In the Whirl of the Rising, by Bertram Mitford.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading The word cut crisply and sharp through the clear frosty air, lashing and keen as the wind that stirred the crystal-spangled pines, and the musical ring of skate-blades upon the ice-bound surface of the mere.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You coward!"

Chapter 1 of In the Whirl of the Rising by Bertram Mitford holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 In the Whirl of the Rising contain?

Chapter 1 holds 427 sentences of In the Whirl of the Rising, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of In the Whirl of the Rising by Bertram Mitford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 In the Whirl of the Rising?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 In the Whirl of the Rising

Common questions about reading In the Whirl of the Rising by Bertram Mitford on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of In the Whirl of the Rising?

Yes. All 5536 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32894 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of In the Whirl of the Rising is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32894, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does In the Whirl of the Rising take to read?

About 461 minutes of reading across 1108 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read In the Whirl of the Rising section by section

How to work through In the Whirl of the Rising section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of In the Whirl of the Rising to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in In the Whirl of the Rising

Words and structures a reader meets early in In the Whirl of the Rising, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Whirl
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Whirl of the Rising; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rising
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Whirl of the Rising; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bertram
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Whirl of the Rising; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mitford
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Whirl of the Rising; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.