Chapter 2 of Lectures and biographical sketches is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Lectures and biographical sketches is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
But we venture to put any man in any place. It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives. They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat? Yes. Is he a man of talent?
Chapter 2 of Lectures and biographical sketches is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a member of the Democratic Party
From this reading “They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat?”
absolutely necessary; vitally necessary
From this reading “It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.”
characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern
From this reading “It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.”
plural of “qualification” — an attribute that must be met or complied with and that fits a person for something
From this reading “It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.”
plural of “representative” — a person who represents others
From this reading “It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.”
a member of the Republican Party
From this reading “They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat?”
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading “Is he a man of talent?”
any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
From this reading “But we venture to put any man in any place.”
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.
In this reading “But we venture to put any man in any place.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat?
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
a member of the Democratic Party
From this reading They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat?
absolutely necessary; vitally necessary
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Is he a man of talent?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
plural of “qualification” — an attribute that must be met or complied with and that fits a person for something
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
plural of “representative” — a person who represents others
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
a member of the Republican Party
From this reading They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat?
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading Is he a man of talent?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It is curious how negligent the public is of the essential qualifications of its representatives.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They ask if a man is a republican, a democrat?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading But we venture to put any man in any place.
an affirmative
From this reading Yes.
Chapter 2 of Lectures and biographical sketches by Ralph Waldo Emerson holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Chapter 2 holds 413 sentences of Lectures and biographical sketches, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Lectures and biographical sketches by Ralph Waldo Emerson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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.
Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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.
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.
Common questions about reading Lectures and biographical sketches by Ralph Waldo Emerson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4132 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75942 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75942, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Lectures and biographical sketches section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Lectures and biographical sketches to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Lectures and biographical sketches, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
