Chapter 6 of Milton: Minor Poems is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Milton: Minor Poems is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
1015. Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith. 1021. the sphery chime. See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125. LYCIDAS.
Chapter 6 of Milton: Minor Poems is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
form a curve
From this reading “Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.”
a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
From this reading “1021. the sphery chime.”
(medicine) a curving or bending; often abnormal
From this reading “Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.”
an old form of “does”
From this reading “Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.”
a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
From this reading “See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.”
the event of being born
From this reading “See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.”
An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.
From this reading “Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.”
the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading “Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.”
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 “Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.”
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 1015.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1021. the sphery chime.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.
form a curve
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
From this reading 1021. the sphery chime.
(medicine) a curving or bending; often abnormal
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
an old form of “does”
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
From this reading See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LYCIDAS.
the event of being born
From this reading See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading See notes, Hymn on the Nativity 48 and 125.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1021. the sphery chime.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
in the direction of
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
in or at the place that
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend: where the curvature of the vault of the sky seems less than higher up toward the zenith.
Chapter 6 of Milton: Minor Poems by John Milton holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 6 holds 417 sentences of Milton: Minor Poems, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Milton: Minor Poems by John Milton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 6 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 Milton: Minor Poems by John Milton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2570 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31706 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31706, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 214 minutes of reading across 514 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Milton: Minor Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Milton: Minor 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 Milton: Minor Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
