Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile
Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.
Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.
But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.
Farming weans man from his sorrows.
That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.
/ˈɪzriəl ɡoʊz tuː ðə wɔːrz ənd ˈriːtʃɪŋ ˈbʌŋkər hɪl ɪn taɪm tuː biː ʌv ˈsɜːrvəs ðer suːn ˈæftər ɪz fɔːrst tuː ɪkˈstend hɪz ˈtrævəlz əˈkrɔːs ðə siː ˈɪntuː ðə ˈenəmiz lænd/
Line 2
Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.
Line 3
But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.
/bʌt ˈstaɪflɪŋ hɪz peɪn hiː tʃoʊz ˈræðər tuː plaʊ ðæn biː plaʊd/
Line 4
Farming weans man from his sorrows.
Line 5
That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.
/ðæt ˈtræŋkwəl pərˈsuːt ˈtɔːləreɪts ˈnʌθɪŋ bʌt ˈtræŋkwəl ˌmedɪˈteɪʃənz/

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.

bunker noun US /ˈbʌŋkər/

a hazard on a golf course

From this reading “ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.”

enemy's noun US /ˈenəmiz/

possessive form of “enemy” — an opposing military force

Farming noun US /ˈfɑːrmɪŋ/

the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock

From this reading “Farming weans man from his sorrows.”

meditations noun US /ˌmedɪˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “meditation” — continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature

From this reading “That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.”

plough noun US /plaʊ/

a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major

From this reading “But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.”

ploughed adjective US /plaʊd/

(of farmland) broken and turned over with a plow

From this reading “But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.”

stifling noun US /ˈstaɪflɪŋ/

forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority

From this reading “But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.”

tolerates verb US /ˈtɔːləreɪts/

third-person singular of “tolerate” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading “That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

ACROSSprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

AFTERprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

BEauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

brownounUS /braʊ/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

BUNKERnounUS /ˈbʌŋkər/

a hazard on a golf course

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

choseverbUS /tʃoʊz/

inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

ENEMY'SnounUS /ˈenəmiz/

possessive form of “enemy” — an opposing military force

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

EXTENDverbUS /ɪkˈstend/

extend in scope or range or area

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

FarmingnounUS /ˈfɑːrmɪŋ/

the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock

From this reading Farming weans man from his sorrows.

FORCEDadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Farming weans man from his sorrows.

furrows

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

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

GOESnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

HILLnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

idleadjectiveUS /ˈaɪdəl/

not in action or at work

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

INTOprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

ISRAELnounUS /ˈɪzriəl/

Jewish republic in southwestern Asia at eastern end of Mediterranean; formerly part of Palestine

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

lamentationsnoun

an Old Testament book lamenting the desolation of Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC; traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

LANDnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

LeftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Farming weans man from his sorrows.

meditationsnounUS /ˌmedɪˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “meditation” — continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature

From this reading That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

painnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

plantedadjectiveUS /ˈplæntɪd/

(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held

From this reading Left to idle lamentations, Israel might now have planted deep furrows in his brow.

ploughnounUS /plaʊ/

a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

ploughedadjectiveUS /plaʊd/

(of farmland) broken and turned over with a plow

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

pursuitnounUS /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

REACHINGnounUS /ˈriːtʃɪŋ/

the act of physically reaching or thrusting out

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

SEAnounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

SERVICEnounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

SOONadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

sorrowsnounUS /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading Farming weans man from his sorrows.

stiflingnounUS /ˈstaɪflɪŋ/

forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading But stifling his pain, he chose rather to plough, than be ploughed.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

THEREadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

TIMEnounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

toleratesverbUS /ˈtɔːləreɪts/

third-person singular of “tolerate” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.

tranquiladjectiveUS /ˈtræŋkwəl/

(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

From this reading That tranquil pursuit tolerates nothing but tranquil meditations.

TRAVELSnounUS /ˈtrævəlz/

plural of “travel” — the act of going from one place to another

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

WARSnounUS /wɔːrz/

plural of “war” — the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading ISRAEL GOES TO THE WARS; AND REACHING BUNKER HILL IN TIME TO BE OF SERVICE THERE, SOON AFTER IS FORCED TO EXTEND HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE SEA INTO THE ENEMY’S LAND.

weans

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

From this reading Farming weans man from his sorrows.

Chapter 2 of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile by Herman Melville holds 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile contain?

Chapter 2 holds 222 sentences of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile by Herman Melville exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile

Common questions about reading Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile by Herman Melville on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile?

Yes. All 3320 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15422 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15422, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile take to read?

About 276 minutes of reading across 664 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile section by section

How to work through Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile 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 Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile

Words and structures a reader meets early in Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Youthful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Israel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Imagination
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.