Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of John Greenleaf Whittier is here in full — 359 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for John Greenleaf Whittier
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!
“Lay by! lay by!” they called to him.
Back he answered, “Sink or swim!
Brag of your catch of fish again!”
And off he sailed through the fog and rain!
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 Greenleaf Whittier

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of John Greenleaf Whittier is here in full — 359 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!
Line 2
“Lay by! lay by!” they called to him.
/leɪ baɪ leɪ baɪ ðeɪ kɔːld tuː hɪm/
Line 3
Back he answered, “Sink or swim!
/bæk hiː ˈænsərd sɪŋk ɔːr swɪm/
Line 4
Brag of your catch of fish again!”
/bræɡ ʌv jɔːr kætʃ ʌv fɪʃ əˈɡen/
Line 5
And off he sailed through the fog and rain!
/ənd ɔːf hiː seɪld θruː ðə fɑːɡ ənd reɪn/

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.

Brag verb US /bræɡ/

show off

From this reading “Brag of your catch of fish again!””

fog noun US /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading “And off he sailed through the fog and rain!”

leaking verb US /ˈliːkɪŋ/

-ing form of “leak” — tell anonymously

From this reading “Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!”

sailed verb US /seɪld/

past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading “Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!”

Sink verb US /sɪŋk/

fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading “Back he answered, “Sink or swim!”

sinking noun US /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/

a descent as through liquid (especially through water)

From this reading “Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!”

swim verb US /swɪm/

travel through water

From this reading “Back he answered, “Sink or swim!”

wreck noun US /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading “Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!”

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.

through the fog preposition + article + noun counted as “through … fog”

In this reading “And off he sailed through the fog and rain!”

sailed away verb + particle counted as “sail away”

In this reading “Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!”

pity for verb + particle

In this reading “Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!”

All words in this reading · 45

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 Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Brag of your catch of fish again!”

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And off he sailed through the fog and rain!

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading Back he answered, “Sink or swim!

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

BackadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Back he answered, “Sink or swim!

BaynounUS /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

BragverbUS /bræɡ/

show off

From this reading Brag of your catch of fish again!”

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading “Lay by! lay by!” they called to him.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “Lay by! lay by!” they called to him.

catchverbUS /kætʃ/

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Brag of your catch of fish again!”

Chaleur

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

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

decknounUS /dek/

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

fishnounUS /fɪʃ/

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading Brag of your catch of fish again!”

fognounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading And off he sailed through the fog and rain!

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

LayverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading “Lay by! lay by!” they called to him.

leakingverbUS /ˈliːkɪŋ/

-ing form of “leak” — tell anonymously

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Brag of your catch of fish again!”

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading And off he sailed through the fog and rain!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Back he answered, “Sink or swim!

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

pitynounUS /ˈpɪti/

a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading And off he sailed through the fog and rain!

sailedverbUS /seɪld/

past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

SinkverbUS /sɪŋk/

fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading Back he answered, “Sink or swim!

sinkingnounUS /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/

a descent as through liquid (especially through water)

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

SmalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

swimverbUS /swɪm/

travel through water

From this reading Back he answered, “Sink or swim!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And off he sailed through the fog and rain!

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Lay by! lay by!” they called to him.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading And off he sailed through the fog and rain!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Lay by! lay by!” they called to him.

town's-people

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

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

wrecknounUS /rek/

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

From this reading Small pity for him!—He sailed away From a leaking ship in Chaleur Bay,— Sailed away from a sinking wreck, With his own town’s-people on her deck!

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Brag of your catch of fish again!”

Chapter 2 of John Greenleaf Whittier by Bliss Perry holds 359 sentences, grouped into 72 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 John Greenleaf Whittier contain?

Chapter 2 holds 359 sentences of John Greenleaf Whittier, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of John Greenleaf Whittier by Bliss Perry exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 359 sentences, grouped into 72 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 John Greenleaf Whittier?

Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 72 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 John Greenleaf Whittier

Common questions about reading John Greenleaf Whittier by Bliss Perry on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of John Greenleaf Whittier?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of John Greenleaf Whittier is used?

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

How long does John Greenleaf Whittier take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read John Greenleaf Whittier section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of John Greenleaf Whittier 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 Greenleaf Whittier

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of John Greenleaf Whittier, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of John Greenleaf Whittier, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of John Greenleaf Whittier, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.