Chapter 4 of Milton's Comus is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Milton's Comus is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain. The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets. 145. ~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew. 146.
Chapter 4 of Milton's Comus is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading “The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.”
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading “~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.”
hide under a false appearance
From this reading “At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.”
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading “The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.”
cause to flee
From this reading “At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.”
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading “At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.”
literature in metrical form
From this reading “The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.”
having strong sexual appeal
From this reading “~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.”
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 145.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 146.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
later than; following
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
anew
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading ~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading ~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading ~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
hide under a false appearance
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
having or characterized by or consisting of eight syllables
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
cause to flee
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
literature in metrical form
From this reading The change is marked by a return to blank verse: the previous lines are mostly in octosyllabic couplets.
having strong sexual appeal
From this reading ~different~, _i.e._ different from the voluptuous footing of Comus and his crew.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading At this point in the mask Comus and his rout dance a measure, after which he again speaks, but in a different strain.
Chapter 4 of Milton's Comus by John Milton holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 4 holds 402 sentences of Milton's Comus, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Milton's Comus by John Milton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 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.
Common questions about reading Milton's Comus by John Milton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4086 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19819 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19819, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 340 minutes of reading across 818 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Milton's Comus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Milton's Comus 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's Comus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
