Chapter 1 of Love Songs is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Love Songs is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces. Two italicized lines are marked by asterisks (*). Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.] [American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.] Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
Chapter 1 of Love Songs is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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.
the act of continuing an activity without interruption
From this reading “Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]”
a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union
From this reading “[American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.]”
plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading “Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.”
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading “Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.”
plural of “space” — the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading “[Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.”
plural of “stanza” — a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
From this reading “[Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.”
the words of something written
From this reading “[Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.”
a system of weights used for precious metals and gemstones; based on a 12-ounce pound and an ounce of 480 grains
From this reading “Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.]
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.]
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading [American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.]
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two italicized lines are marked by asterisks (*).
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Two italicized lines are marked by asterisks (*).
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
the act of continuing an activity without interruption
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Two italicized lines are marked by asterisks (*).
for more time
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading Two italicized lines are marked by asterisks (*).
a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union
From this reading [American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.]
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading [American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.]
a brief written record
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading [American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.]
plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
plural of “space” — the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
plural of “stanza” — a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
the words of something written
From this reading [Note on text: Italicized stanzas are indented 5 spaces.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Lines longer than 78 characters are broken, and the continuation is indented two spaces.]
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
a system of weights used for precious metals and gemstones; based on a 12-ounce pound and an ounce of 480 grains
From this reading Author of "Rivers to the Sea", "Helen of Troy and Other Poems", Etc.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two italicized lines are marked by asterisks (*).
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading [American (Missouri & New York) poet, 1884-1933.]
Chapter 1 of Love Songs by Sara Teasdale holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 1 holds 139 sentences of Love Songs, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Love Songs by Sara Teasdale exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 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.
Common questions about reading Love Songs by Sara Teasdale on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 301 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #442 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #442, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 25 minutes of reading across 61 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Love Songs section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Love Songs 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 Songs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
