Chapter 4 of Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
REGRETS. I. When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite. II. O glorious sun!
Chapter 4 of Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading “When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.”
a polite refusal of an invitation
From this reading “REGRETS.”
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading “When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.”
comparative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading “When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.”
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading “When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.”
migratory
From this reading “When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.”
waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
From this reading “When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.”
shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading “When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.”
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 “When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.”
In this reading “O glorious sun!”
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 When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
having or deserving or conferring glory
From this reading O glorious sun!
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
a sacred place of pilgrimage
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading II.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
engage in
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading O glorious sun!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
a polite refusal of an invitation
From this reading REGRETS.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
deliver by singing
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading O glorious sun!
comparative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
a special situation
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
migratory
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
at the time that
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I did wake, to-day, a bird of Heaven, A wanton, woeless thing, a wandering sprite, Did seem to sing a song for my delight; And, far away, did make its holy steven Sweeter to hear than lute-strings that are seven; And I did weep thereat in my despite.
Chapter 4 of Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems by Eric Mackay holds 65 sentences, grouped into 13 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 4 holds 65 sentences of Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems by Eric Mackay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 65 sentences, grouped into 13 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 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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 4 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 Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems by Eric Mackay on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2143 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37649 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37649, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 178 minutes of reading across 429 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems 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 Love Letters of a Violinist, and Other Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
