adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Not in a day could he learn to chant in noble verse.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
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 Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
articlenounUS /ˈɑːrtəkəl/
nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
attemptsnounUS /əˈtempts/
plural of “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/
succeed in representing or expressing something intangible
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
catchverbUS /kætʃ/
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
caughtverbUS /kɑːt/
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
chantverbUS /tʃænt/
recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm
From this reading Not in a day could he learn to chant in noble verse.
completedadjectiveUS /kəmˈpliːtəd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Not in a day could he learn to chant in noble verse.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Not in a day could he learn to chant in noble verse.
elusiveadjectiveUS /ɪˈluːsɪv/
difficult to describe
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
evasiveadjectiveUS /ɪˈveɪzɪv/
deliberately vague or ambiguous
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
frequentlyadverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntli/
many times at short intervals
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not in a day could he learn to chant in noble verse.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
imprisonverbUS /ˌɪmˈprɪzən/
lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
inspiredadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈspaɪərd/
being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
intangiblenounUS /ˌɪnˈtændʒəbəl/
assets that are saleable though not material or physical
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
learnverbUS /lɜːrn/
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading Not in a day could he learn to chant in noble verse.
lovenounUS /lʌv/
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
MartinnounUS /ˈmɑːrtən/
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
metrenounUS /ˈmiːtər/
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/
impressive in appearance
From this reading Not in a day could he learn to chant in noble verse.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
pearl-diving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
poemsnounUS /ˈpoʊəmz/
plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
poetrynounUS /ˈpoʊətri/
literature in metrical form
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
RhymenounUS /raɪm/
correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
RuthnounUS /ruːθ/
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
sensedadjectiveUS /senst/
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
seriousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪriəs/
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
sooneradverbUS /ˈsuːnər/
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/
that is looked for
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
structurenounUS /ˈstrʌktʃər/
a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was the elusive spirit of poetry itself that he sensed and sought after but could not capture.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
versenounUS /vɜːrs/
literature in metrical form
From this reading Not in a day could he learn to chant in noble verse.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His poems were love poems, inspired by Ruth, but they were never completed.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
writeverbUS /raɪt/
produce a literary work
From this reading Martin went back to his pearl-diving article, which would have been finished sooner if it had not been broken in upon so frequently by his attempts to write poetry.
