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Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)

Chapter XL · Chapter 40

Chapter 40 of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.
Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.
Come! let us sin, and be merry.
Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.
Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.
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.

Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)

Chapter XL · Chapter 40

Chapter 40 of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.
Line 2
Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.
/hɜːr ˈbʊzəm ˈebəd ənd floʊd ðə moʊts dænst ɪn ðə biːmz ðæt ˈdɑːrtɪd frʌm hɜːr aɪz/
Line 3
Come! let us sin, and be merry.
/kʌm let ʌs sɪn ənd biː ˈmeri/
Line 4
Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.
Line 5
Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

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.

amaryllis noun US /ˌæmərˈɪləs/

bulbous plant having showy white to reddish flowers

From this reading “Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.”

ebbed verb US /ˈebəd/

past form of “ebb” — flow back or recede

From this reading “Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.”

flutes noun US /fluːts/

plural of “flute” — a high-pitched woodwind instrument; a slender tube closed at one end with finger holes on one end and an opening near the closed end across which the breath is blown

From this reading “Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.”

motes noun US /moʊts/

plural of “mote” — (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

From this reading “Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.”

reel verb US /riːl/

walk as if unable to control one's movements

From this reading “Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.”

unbound adjective US /ʌnˈbaʊnd/

Released from physical or magical bonds; free and unrestricted.

From this reading “Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.”

vortex noun US /ˈvɔːrteks/

the shape of something rotating rapidly

From this reading “Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.”

zone noun US /zoʊn/

a locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features

From this reading “Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

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 Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

amaryllisnounUS /ˌæmərˈɪləs/

bulbous plant having showy white to reddish flowers

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “Come! let us sin, and be merry.

beamsnounUS /biːmz/

plural of “beam” — a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

bosomnounUS /ˈbʊzəm/

the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

cane-brakes

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

From this reading Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading “Come! let us sin, and be merry.

Damsels

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

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

dancenounUS /dæns/

an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

dancedverbUS /dænst/

past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

dartedverbUS /ˈdɑːrtɪd/

past form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

drawsnounUS /drɔːz/

plural of “draw” — a gully that is shallower than a ravine

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

ebbedverbUS /ˈebəd/

past form of “ebb” — flow back or recede

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

echoesnounUS /ˈekoʊz/

plural of “echo” — the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

flowedverbUS /floʊd/

past form of “flow” — move or progress freely as if in a stream

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

flutesnounUS /fluːts/

plural of “flute” — a high-pitched woodwind instrument; a slender tube closed at one end with finger holes on one end and an opening near the closed end across which the breath is blown

From this reading Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

glidedverbUS /ˈɡlaɪdɪd/

past form of “glide” — move smoothly and effortlessly

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

Hautia

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

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

HonounUS /hoʊ/

a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds

From this reading Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

lapfuls

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

From this reading Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “Come! let us sin, and be merry.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

merryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading “Come! let us sin, and be merry.

motesnounUS /moʊts/

plural of “mote” — (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

pipenounUS /paɪp/

a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco

From this reading Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

reelverbUS /riːl/

walk as if unable to control one's movements

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

sinnounUS /sɪn/

estrangement from god

From this reading “Come! let us sin, and be merry.

swimverbUS /swɪm/

travel through water

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

Taji

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

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Her bosom ebbed and flowed; the motes danced in the beams that darted from her eyes.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

unboundadjectiveUS /ʌnˈbaʊnd/

Released from physical or magical bonds; free and unrestricted.

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading “Come! let us sin, and be merry.

valleynounUS /ˈvæli/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

vortexnounUS /ˈvɔːrteks/

the shape of something rotating rapidly

From this reading Damsels! dance; reel, swim, around me:—I, the vortex that draws all in.

winenounUS /waɪn/

fermented juice (of grapes especially)

From this reading Ho! wine, wine, wine! and lapfuls of flowers! let all the cane-brakes pipe their flutes.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

zonenounUS /zoʊn/

a locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features

From this reading Taji With Hautia As their last echoes died away down the valley, Hautia glided near;— zone unbound, the amaryllis in her hand.

Chapter 40 of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) by Herman Melville holds 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 40 of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) contain?

Chapter 40 holds 103 sentences of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 40 of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) by Herman Melville exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 40 of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 40 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 40 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 Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)

Common questions about reading Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) by Herman Melville on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)?

Yes. All 5994 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13721 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13721, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) take to read?

About 499 minutes of reading across 1199 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) section by section

How to work through Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2) 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 Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Coming
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Close
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Island
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pennons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.