Chapter I
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DR. JOHNSON'S WORKS. LIVES OF THE POETS. VOL. I.
Lives of the Poets, Volume 1
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
DR.
JOHNSON'S
WORKS.
LIVES
OF
THE
POETS.
VOL.
I.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Lives of the Poets, Volume 1
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
DR.
Line 2
JOHNSON'S
WORKS.
/ˈdʒɑːnsənz wɜːrks/
Line 3
LIVES
OF
THE
POETS.
/lɪvz ʌv ðə ˈpoʊəts/
Line 4
VOL.
Line 5
I.
/aɪ/
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.
johnson's
noun
US /ˈdʒɑːnsənz/
possessive form of “johnson” — English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading “JOHNSON'S WORKS.”
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading “LIVES OF THE POETS.”
poets
noun
US /ˈpoʊəts/
plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading “LIVES OF THE POETS.”
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading “JOHNSON'S WORKS.”
All words in this reading · 9
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.
DR
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DR.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I.
JOHNSON'SnounUS /ˈdʒɑːnsənz/
possessive form of “johnson” — English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading JOHNSON'S WORKS.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading LIVES OF THE POETS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LIVES OF THE POETS.
POETSnounUS /ˈpoʊəts/
plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading LIVES OF THE POETS.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LIVES OF THE POETS.
VOL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VOL.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading JOHNSON'S WORKS.
Chapter 1 of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 by Samuel Johnson holds 385 sentences, grouped into 77 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 Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 contain?
Chapter 1 holds 385 sentences of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 by Samuel Johnson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 385 sentences, grouped into 77 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 Lives of the Poets, Volume 1?
Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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 Lives of the Poets, Volume 1
Common questions about reading Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 by Samuel Johnson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1?
Yes. All 6099 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9823 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #9823, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 take to read?
About 508 minutes of reading across 1220 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 section by section
How to work through Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Lives of the Poets, Volume 1
Words and structures a reader meets early in Lives of the Poets, Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Johnson's
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Works
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Lives
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Poets
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lives of the Poets, Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.