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Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III
Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III

Chapter IX · ODE I. _To Venus._

Chapter IX of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III, “ODE I. _To Venus._,” is here in full — 23 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George [Editor] Saintsbury • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III
Context Illustration Reading 1/4 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.
Alas!
I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.
Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.
My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.
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.

Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III

Chapter IX · ODE I. _To Venus._

Chapter IX of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III, “ODE I. _To Venus._,” is here in full — 23 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/4 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.
Line 2
Alas!
/əˈlæs/
Line 3
I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.
/aɪ æm nɑːt naʊ ðæt mæn ʌv maɪt æz wen fer kɪˈnɑːrə beɪd miː faɪt/
Line 4
Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.
Line 5
My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

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.

beleaguer verb US /bɪˈliːɡər/

annoy persistently

From this reading “My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cynara noun US /kɪˈnɑːrə/

artichoke; cardoon

From this reading “I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cytherea noun US /ˌsɪθərˈiːə/

goddess of love and beauty and daughter of Zeus in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Venus

From this reading “No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forts noun US /fɔːrts/

plural of “fort” — a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading “My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hairs noun US /herz/

plural of “hair” — a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading “Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
slighted verb US /ˈslaɪtɪd/

past form of “slight” — pay no attention to, disrespect

From this reading “My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sues noun US /suːz/

plural of “sue” — French writer whose novels described the sordid side of city life (1804-1857)

From this reading “No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tedious adjective US /ˈtiːdiəs/

so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

From this reading “Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

gray hairs noun + noun counted as “gray hair”

In this reading “Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.”

3,310 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 51

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.

AlasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/

used to show sadness, pity, or regret

From this reading Alas!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
badenounUS /beɪd/

a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beleaguerverbUS /bɪˈliːɡər/

annoy persistently

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bulwarks

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

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

Pending verification
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ceaseverbUS /siːs/

put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
considerverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CynaranounUS /kɪˈnɑːrə/

artichoke; cardoon

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CythereanounUS /ˌsɪθərˈiːə/

goddess of love and beauty and daughter of Zeus in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Venus

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DreadnounUS /dred/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feebleadjectiveUS /ˈfiːbəl/

pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fiftynounUS /ˈfɪfti/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fortsnounUS /fɔːrts/

plural of “fort” — a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hairsnounUS /herz/

plural of “hair” — a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LeaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
peacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
slightedverbUS /ˈslaɪtɪd/

past form of “slight” — pay no attention to, disrespect

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Snow'd

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

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

Pending verification
soldiernounUS /ˈsoʊldʒər/

an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suesnounUS /suːz/

plural of “sue” — French writer whose novels described the sordid side of city life (1804-1857)

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tediousadjectiveUS /ˈtiːdiəs/

so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading My forts are slighted, and my bulwarks down: Go, and beleaguer some strong town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VenusnounUS /ˈviːnəs/

the second nearest planet to the sun

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading No more of War:--Dread Cytherea, cease; Thy feeble soldier sues for peace.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I am not now that man of might, As when fair Cynara bade me fight.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Leave, Venus, leave! consider my gray hairs Snow'd on by fifty tedious years.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 9 of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III by George [Editor] Saintsbury holds 23 sentences, grouped into 5 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 9 of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III contain?

Chapter 9 holds 23 sentences of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III, unabridged, divided into 5 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III by George [Editor] Saintsbury exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 23 sentences, grouped into 5 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 9 of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III?

Work through the 5 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 5 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III

Common questions about reading Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III by George [Editor] Saintsbury on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III?

Yes. All 10052 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46856 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46856, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2011 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III section by section

How to work through Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III

Words and structures a reader meets early in Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Poems
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Followed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Explanatory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, Vol. III; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.