Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
John Marr and Other Poems
John Marr and Other Poems

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of John Marr and Other Poems is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for John Marr and Other Poems
Context Illustration Reading 76/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.
HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.
Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.
II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?
When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!
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 Marr and Other Poems

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of John Marr and Other Poems is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 76/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 376–380

Line 1
Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.
Line 2
HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.
Line 3
Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.
Line 4
II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?
Line 5
When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

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.

America's noun US /əˈmerəkəz/

possessive form of “america” — North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

autumn's noun US /ˈɔːtəmz/

possessive form of “autumn” — the season when the leaves fall from the trees

disarm verb US /dɪˈsɑːrm/

remove offensive capability from

From this reading “Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.”

lure noun US /lʊr/

qualities that attract by seeming to promise some kind of reward

From this reading “II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?”

proclaiming verb US /proʊˈkleɪmɪŋ/

-ing form of “proclaim” — declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles

From this reading “HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.”

selves noun US /selvz/

plural of “self” — your consciousness of your own identity

From this reading “II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?”

stems noun US /stemz/

plural of “stem” — (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed

From this reading “HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.”

wands noun US /wɑːndz/

plural of “wand” — a rod used by a magician or water diviner

From this reading “HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

accordverbUS /əˈkɔːrd/

go together

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

affordverbUS /əˈfɔːrd/

be able to spare or give up

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

AgenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

Ah

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

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

airnounUS /er/

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

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

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 II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

America'snounUS /əˈmerəkəz/

possessive form of “america” — North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

Antonines

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

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

autumn'snounUS /ˈɔːtəmz/

possessive form of “autumn” — the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

bickerings

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

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

breatheverbUS /briːð/

draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

Canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

codenounUS /koʊd/

a set of rules or principles or laws (especially written ones)

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

creednounUS /kriːd/

any system of principles or beliefs

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

deareradjectiveUS /ˈdɪrər/

comparative of “dear” — dearly loved

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

disarmverbUS /dɪˈsɑːrm/

remove offensive capability from

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

divineadjectiveUS /dɪˈvaɪn/

emanating from God

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

graciousadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪʃəs/

characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

hazed

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

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

HERBA

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

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

IInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

importnounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrt/

commodities (goods or services) bought from a foreign country

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

IndianadjectiveUS /ˈɪndiən/

of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

lenitivenoun

remedy that eases pain and discomfort

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

LovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

Love'snounUS /lʌvz/

possessive form of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

lurenounUS /lʊr/

qualities that attract by seeming to promise some kind of reward

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

moodsnounUS /muːdz/

plural of “mood” — a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

o'eradverb

throughout a period of time

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

oliveadjectiveUS /ˈɑːləv/

of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

ordainedadjectiveUS /ɔːrˈdeɪnd/

fixed or established especially by order or command

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

peacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

pledgeverbUS /pledʒ/

promise solemnly and formally

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

proclaimingverbUS /proʊˈkleɪmɪŋ/

-ing form of “proclaim” — declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

releaseverbUS /riˈliːs/

release, as from one's grip

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

restoredverbUS /rɪˈstɔːrd/

past form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

SANTAnounUS /ˈsæntə/

the legendary patron saint of children; an imaginary being who is thought to bring presents to children at Christmas

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

selvesnounUS /selvz/

plural of “self” — your consciousness of your own identity

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

Shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

shareverbUS /ʃer/

have in common

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

signsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

stemsnounUS /stemz/

plural of “stem” — (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

ThanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Of moods they breathe that care disarm, They pledge us lenitive and calm.

wandsnounUS /wɑːndz/

plural of “wand” — a rod used by a magician or water diviner

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

warsnounUS /wɔːrz/

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

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Ah, might we read in America’s signs The Age restored of the Antonines.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading HERBA SANTA I After long wars when comes release Not olive wands proclaiming peace Can import dearer share Than stems of Herba Santa hazed In autumn’s Indian air.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

winverbUS /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading II Shall code or creed a lure afford To win all selves to Love’s accord?

winenounUS /waɪn/

fermented juice (of grapes especially)

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading When Love ordained a supper divine For the wide world of man, What bickerings o’er his gracious wine!

Chapter 1 of John Marr and Other Poems by Herman Melville holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of John Marr and Other Poems contain?

Chapter 1 holds 424 sentences of John Marr and Other Poems, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of John Marr and Other Poems by Herman Melville exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of John Marr and Other Poems?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading John Marr and Other Poems

Common questions about reading John Marr and Other Poems by Herman Melville on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of John Marr and Other Poems?

Yes. All 824 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12841 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of John Marr and Other Poems is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12841, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does John Marr and Other Poems take to read?

About 68 minutes of reading across 165 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read John Marr and Other Poems section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of John Marr and Other Poems 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 Marr and Other Poems

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

Introductory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Marr and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Henry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Marr and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chapin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Marr and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Melville
A word that appears in the opening chapter of John Marr and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.