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Milton: Minor Poems
Milton: Minor Poems

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Milton: Minor Poems is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Milton: Minor Poems
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
87.
As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.
88.
With thrice great Hermes.
"Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Milton: Minor Poems

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Milton: Minor Poems is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
87.
Line 2
As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.
Line 3
88.
Line 4
With thrice great Hermes.
/wɪð θraɪs ɡreɪt ˈhɜːrmiz/
Line 5
"Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

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.

alchemy noun US /ˈælkəmi/

the way two individuals relate to each other

From this reading “"Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."”

devotees noun US /ˈdevəˈtiːz/

plural of “devotee” — an ardent follower and admirer

From this reading “"Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."”

doctrines noun US /ˈdɑːktrənz/

plural of “doctrine” — a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school

From this reading “"Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."”

Grecian adjective US /ˈɡriːʃən/

of or relating to or characteristic of Greece or the Greeks or the Greek language

From this reading “"Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."”

Hermes noun US /ˈhɜːrmiz/

(Greek mythology) messenger and herald of the gods; god of commerce and cunning and invention and theft; identified with Roman Mercury

From this reading “With thrice great Hermes.”

identified adjective US /aɪˈdentəfaɪd/

having the identity known or established

From this reading “"Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."”

mysticism noun US /ˈmɪstɪsɪzəm/

a religion based on mystical communion with an ultimate reality

From this reading “"Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."”

thrice adverb US /θraɪs/

three times

From this reading “With thrice great Hermes.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

sit up verb + adjective

not go to bed

In this reading “As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.”

all night adjective + noun

In this reading “As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

87

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

From this reading 87.

88

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

From this reading 88.

alchemynounUS /ˈælkəmi/

the way two individuals relate to each other

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

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 As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

authornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

BearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

devoteesnounUS /ˈdevəˈtiːz/

plural of “devotee” — an ardent follower and admirer

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

doctrinesnounUS /ˈdɑːktrənz/

plural of “doctrine” — a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

EgyptiannounUS /ɪˈdʒɪpʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Egypt

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

godnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading With thrice great Hermes.

GrecianadjectiveUS /ˈɡriːʃən/

of or relating to or characteristic of Greece or the Greeks or the Greek language

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

HermesnounUS /ˈhɜːrmiz/

(Greek mythology) messenger and herald of the gods; god of commerce and cunning and invention and theft; identified with Roman Mercury

From this reading With thrice great Hermes.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

identifiedadjectiveUS /aɪˈdentəfaɪd/

having the identity known or established

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

mysticismnounUS /ˈmɪstɪsɪzəm/

a religion based on mystical communion with an ultimate reality

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

Neo-Platonists

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

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

outwatch

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

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

secretsnounUS /ˈsiːkrəts/

plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

setsnounUS /sets/

plural of “set” — a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

Thothnoun

Egyptian Moon deity with the head of an ibis; god of wisdom and learning and the arts; scribe of the gods

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

thriceadverbUS /θraɪs/

three times

From this reading With thrice great Hermes.

thrice-greatest

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

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

Trismegistos

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

From this reading "Hermes Trismegistos--Hermes thrice-greatest--is the name given by the Neo-Platonists and the devotees of mysticism and alchemy to the Egyptian god Thoth, regarded as more or less identified with the Grecian Hermes, and as the author of all mysterious doctrines, and especially of the secrets of alchemy."

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading As the Bear never sets, to outwatch him must mean to sit up all night.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With thrice great Hermes.

Chapter 4 of Milton: Minor Poems by John Milton holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 of Milton: Minor Poems contain?

Chapter 4 holds 411 sentences of Milton: Minor Poems, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Milton: Minor Poems by John Milton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 of Milton: Minor Poems?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Milton: Minor Poems

Common questions about reading Milton: Minor Poems by John Milton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Milton: Minor Poems?

Yes. All 2570 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31706 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Milton: Minor Poems is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31706, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Milton: Minor Poems take to read?

About 214 minutes of reading across 514 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Milton: Minor Poems section by section

How to work through Milton: Minor Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Milton: Minor Poems

Words and structures a reader meets early in Milton: Minor Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Academy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Milton: Minor Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Milton: Minor Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
English
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Milton: Minor Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Classics
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Milton: Minor Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.