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I've Been Thinking
I've Been Thinking

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29 of I've Been Thinking is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.
The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.
A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.
The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.
The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

I've Been Thinking

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29 of I've Been Thinking is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.
/wɔːr ɪz ə neɪm ðæt ˈkæriz ɪn ɪts ˈdredfəl ˈmiːnɪŋ siːnz ʌv ˈsʌfərɪŋ ənd woʊ ˈlɪtəl θɔːt ʌv ɪt ɪz fɪrd baɪ ðoʊz huː æt ðə helm ʌv ˈpaʊər tuː ˈiːzəli proʊˈkleɪm ðə ˈdedli fjuːd/
Line 2
The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.
Line 3
A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.
Line 4
The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.
/ðə ˈherəld ʌv dɪˈfaɪəns ɪz sent fɔːrθ ənd ˈmɪzəri deθ ənd ˌdesəˈleɪʃən ˈhʌvər ɑːn hɪz træk/
Line 5
The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

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.

affords verb US /əˈfɔːrdz/

third-person singular of “afford” — be able to spare or give up

From this reading “A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.”

agonizing adjective US /ˈæɡənaɪzɪŋ/

extremely painful

From this reading “The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.”

calculators noun US /ˈkælkjəleɪtərz/

plural of “calculator” — an expert at calculation (or at operating calculating machines)

From this reading “The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.”

feud noun US /fjuːd/

a bitter quarrel between two parties

From this reading “War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.”

hover verb US /ˈhʌvər/

be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading “The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.”

supremacy noun US /səˈpreməsi/

power to dominate or defeat

From this reading “The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.”

unheeded adjective US /ənˈhiːdɪd/

disregarded

From this reading “The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.”

widow's noun US /ˈwɪdoʊz/

possessive form of “widow” — a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading “The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.”

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.

at the helm preposition + article + noun counted as “at … helm”

In this reading “War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.”

wait upon verb + particle

In this reading “The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.”

for supremacy preposition + noun

In this reading “The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.”

fond mother's adjective + noun counted as “fond mother”

In this reading “A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.”

mother's heart noun + noun counted as “mother heart”

In this reading “A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.”

All words in this reading · 112

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 War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

affordsverbUS /əˈfɔːrdz/

third-person singular of “afford” — be able to spare or give up

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

agonizingadjectiveUS /ˈæɡənaɪzɪŋ/

extremely painful

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

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 The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

anticipatedadjectiveUS /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪd/

expected hopefully

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

bleedingnounUS /ˈbliːdɪŋ/

the flow of blood from a ruptured blood vessel

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

borneverbUS /bɔːrn/

inflected form of “bear” — have

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

calculatorsnounUS /ˈkælkjəleɪtərz/

plural of “calculator” — an expert at calculation (or at operating calculating machines)

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

carriesnounUS /ˈkæriz/

plural of “carry” — the act of carrying something

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

CommodorenounUS /ˈkɑːmədɔːr/

a commissioned naval officer who ranks above a captain and below a rear admiral; the lowest grade of admiral

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

contestnounUS /ˈkɑːntest/

an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

deadlyadjectiveUS /ˈdedli/

causing or capable of causing death

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

defiancenounUS /dɪˈfaɪəns/

intentionally contemptuous behavior or attitude

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

desolationnounUS /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/

the state of being decayed or destroyed

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

dreadfuladjectiveUS /ˈdredfəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

eventnounUS /ɪˈvent/

something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

fearedverbUS /fɪrd/

past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

feudnounUS /fjuːd/

a bitter quarrel between two parties

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

fondadjectiveUS /fɑːnd/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

forgetsverbUS /fərˈɡets/

third-person singular of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

groansnounUS /ɡroʊnz/

plural of “groan” — an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

hastes

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

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

helmnounUS /helm/

steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

helplessadjectiveUS /ˈhelpləs/

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

heraldverbUS /ˈherəld/

foreshadow or presage

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

horribleadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəbəl/

provoking horror

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

hoververbUS /ˈhʌvər/

be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

life-blood

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

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

miserynounUS /ˈmɪzəri/

a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

necessitiesnounUS /nəˈsesɪtiz/

plural of “necessity” — the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

orphan's

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

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

pangnounUS /pæŋ/

a sudden sharp feeling

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

passverbUS /pæs/

go across or through

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

predictedverbUS /prɪˈdɪktɪd/

past form of “predict” — make a prediction about; tell in advance

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

pretextnounUS /ˈpriːtekst/

something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

proclaimverbUS /proʊˈkleɪm/

declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

redressed

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

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

remonstrancenoun

the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

scenesnounUS /siːnz/

plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

seekverbUS /siːk/

try to get or reach

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/

marked by practical hardheaded intelligence

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

sighverbUS /saɪ/

heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

sooneradverbUS /ˈsuːnər/

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

sufferingnounUS /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/

a state of acute pain

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

supremacynounUS /səˈpreməsi/

power to dominate or defeat

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

tearverbUS /ter/

separate or cause to separate abruptly

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

tiger-thirst

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

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

tracknounUS /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading The herald of defiance is sent forth, and misery, death, and desolation hover on his track.

Trysail

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

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

unheededadjectiveUS /ənˈhiːdɪd/

disregarded

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/

plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The event which Commodore Trysail had predicted came to pass, although somewhat sooner than either he or many other shrewd calculators had anticipated.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

widow'snounUS /ˈwɪdoʊz/

possessive form of “widow” — a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The widow's tear, the orphan's helpless sigh, the agonizing groans of bleeding victims, the horrible necessities that wait upon the contest for supremacy where man forgets his nature, and hastes with tiger-thirst to seek the life-blood of his fellow man, are all forgotten or unheeded.

woenounUS /woʊ/

misery resulting from affliction

From this reading War is a name that carries in its dreadful meaning scenes of suffering and woe, little thought of, it is feared, by those who, at the helm of power, too easily proclaim the deadly feud.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading A little land, not worth a single pang of one fond mother's heart; a little wrong that might by calm remonstrance be redressed, or even borne with, affords a pretext.

Chapter 29 of I've Been Thinking by A. S. (Azel Stevens) Roe holds 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 29 of I've Been Thinking contain?

Chapter 29 holds 174 sentences of I've Been Thinking, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 29 of I've Been Thinking by A. S. (Azel Stevens) Roe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 29 of I've Been Thinking?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 29 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 29 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 I've Been Thinking

Common questions about reading I've Been Thinking by A. S. (Azel Stevens) Roe on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of I've Been Thinking?

Yes. All 4748 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39461 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of I've Been Thinking is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39461, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does I've Been Thinking take to read?

About 395 minutes of reading across 950 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read I've Been Thinking section by section

How to work through I've Been Thinking section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of I've Been Thinking 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 I've Been Thinking

Words and structures a reader meets early in I've Been Thinking, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Where
A word that appears in the opening chapter of I've Been Thinking; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Working
A word that appears in the opening chapter of I've Been Thinking; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Raise
A word that appears in the opening chapter of I've Been Thinking; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vegetables
A word that appears in the opening chapter of I've Been Thinking; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.