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John Barleycorn
John Barleycorn

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of John Barleycorn is here in full — 59 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Jack London • Curated US English Learning Edition

Chapter 28 of John Barleycorn by Jack London holds 59 sentences, grouped into 12 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 John Barleycorn contain?

Chapter 28 holds 59 sentences of John Barleycorn, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of John Barleycorn by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 59 sentences, grouped into 12 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 John Barleycorn?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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 John Barleycorn

Common questions about reading John Barleycorn by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of John Barleycorn?

Yes. All 3987 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #318 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of John Barleycorn is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #318, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does John Barleycorn take to read?

About 332 minutes of reading across 798 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read John Barleycorn section by section

How to work through John Barleycorn section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of John Barleycorn 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 John Barleycorn

Words and structures a reader meets early in John Barleycorn, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Election
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Barleycorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
California
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Barleycorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Afternoon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Barleycorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ridden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Barleycorn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover illustration for John Barleycorn
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.
The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.
And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.
I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.
Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.
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.

John Barleycorn

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of John Barleycorn is here in full — 59 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.
Line 2
The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.
Line 3
And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.
Line 4
I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.
Line 5
Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

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.

Alone adjective US /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading “I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.”

Velmora curated lexicon
All words in this reading · 58

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

a

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
acquaintance

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.

Velmora curated lexicon
and

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
arm

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
Barleycorn

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
Barleycorn's

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
became

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
bulk

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
but

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
command

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
considered

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
did

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
drank

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

From this reading I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.

Pending verification
drink

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

From this reading I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.

Pending verification
earned

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
for

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

From this reading I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.

Pending verification
got

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
greater

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
him

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
I

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
in

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
jingled

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
jingles

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
John

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
life

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
maintained

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
mild

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
mine

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
money

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
more

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
my

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
no

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
nodding

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
Not

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
of

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
older

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
paid

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
price

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
prominently

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
ready

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
sake

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

From this reading I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.

Pending verification
sociability

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

From this reading I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.

Pending verification
Sometimes

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
still

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
success

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
such

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

From this reading Sometimes I got jingled, but I considered such jingles the mild price I paid for sociability.

Pending verification
than

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
that

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
The

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
to

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
tuck

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
was

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification
when

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

From this reading I drank for the sake of sociability, and when alone I did not drink.

Pending verification
wider

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
with

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

From this reading And still I maintained no more than a nodding acquaintance with him.

Pending verification
world

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

From this reading The older I got, the greater my success, the more money I earned, the wider was the command of the world that became mine and the more prominently did John Barleycorn bulk in my life.

Pending verification
yet

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

From this reading Not yet was I ready to tuck my arm in John Barleycorn's.

Pending verification