Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Modern American Poetry
Modern American Poetry

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Modern American Poetry is here in full — 345 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Louis [Editor] Untermeyer • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Modern American Poetry
Context Illustration Reading 1/69 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.
RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.
BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.
BRENTANO’S—for two poems from _Chanteys and Ballads_ by Harry Kemp.
NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.
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.

Modern American Poetry

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Modern American Poetry is here in full — 345 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.
Line 2
RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.
Line 3
BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.
Line 4
BRENTANO’S—for two poems from _Chanteys and Ballads_ by Harry Kemp.
Line 5
NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

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.

badger verb US /ˈbædʒər/

annoy persistently

From this reading “RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ballads noun US /ˈbælədz/

plural of “ballad” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Challenge verb US /ˈtʃæləndʒ/

take exception to

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Clark noun US /klɑːrk/

United States explorer who (with Meriwether Lewis) led an expedition from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River; Clark was responsible for making maps of the area (1770-1838)

From this reading “RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Era noun US /ˈerə/

a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event

From this reading “Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nicholas noun US /ˈnɪkələs/

a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)

From this reading “NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Riley noun US /ˈraɪli/

United States poet (1849-1916)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Trails noun US /treɪlz/

plural of “trail” — a track or mark left by something that has passed

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.

New Era adjective + noun

In this reading “Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.”

883 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 47

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.

AlfrednounUS /ˈælfrəd/

king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)

From this reading NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

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

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BADGERverbUS /ˈbædʒər/

annoy persistently

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BalladsnounUS /ˈbælədz/

plural of “ballad” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading BRENTANO’S—for two poems from _Chanteys and Ballads_ by Harry Kemp.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

Velmora curated lexicon
BOBBS-MERRILL

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

From this reading BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.

Pending verification
BRENTANO'S

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

From this reading BRENTANO’S—for two poems from _Chanteys and Ballads_ by Harry Kemp.

Pending verification
BROWNnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ChallengeverbUS /ˈtʃæləndʒ/

take exception to

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Chanteys

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

From this reading BRENTANO’S—for two poems from _Chanteys and Ballads_ by Harry Kemp.

Pending verification
ClarknounUS /klɑːrk/

United States explorer who (with Meriwether Lewis) led an expedition from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River; Clark was responsible for making maps of the area (1770-1838)

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COMPANYnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CompleteverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EranounUS /ˈerə/

a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
etc

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

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

Pending verification
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GnounUS /dʒiː/

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Grass-Grown

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

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

Pending verification
HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading BRENTANO’S—for two poems from _Chanteys and Ballads_ by Harry Kemp.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HoracenounUS /ˈhɔːrəs/

Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IncludingverbUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/

-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Kemp

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

From this reading BRENTANO’S—for two poems from _Chanteys and Ballads_ by Harry Kemp.

Pending verification
Kreymborg

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

From this reading NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

Pending verification
LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LeathernounUS /ˈleðər/

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NICHOLASnounUS /ˈnɪkələs/

a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)

From this reading NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
poemnounUS /ˈpoʊəm/

a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
poemsnounUS /ˈpoʊəmz/

plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PoetrynounUS /ˈpoʊətri/

literature in metrical form

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RICHARD

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

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

Pending verification
RileynounUS /ˈraɪli/

United States poet (1849-1916)

From this reading BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SaddleverbUS /ˈsædəl/

put a saddle on

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Author of “_Challenge_,” “_Including Horace_,” “_The New Era in American Poetry_,” etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading NICHOLAS L. BROWN—for the poem from _Blood of Things_ by Alfred Kreymborg.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TrailsnounUS /treɪlz/

plural of “trail” — a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading RICHARD G. BADGER—for the poems from _Sun and Saddle Leather_ and _Grass-Grown Trails_ by Badger Clark.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Whitcomb

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

From this reading BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.

Pending verification
WorksnounUS /wɜːrks/

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY—for two poems from _The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley_.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of Modern American Poetry by Louis [Editor] Untermeyer holds 345 sentences, grouped into 69 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 1 of Modern American Poetry contain?

Chapter 1 holds 345 sentences of Modern American Poetry, unabridged, divided into 69 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Modern American Poetry by Louis [Editor] Untermeyer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 345 sentences, grouped into 69 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 1 of Modern American Poetry?

Work through the 69 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 69 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Modern American Poetry

Common questions about reading Modern American Poetry by Louis [Editor] Untermeyer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Modern American Poetry?

Yes. All 3972 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58992 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Modern American Poetry is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #58992, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Modern American Poetry take to read?

About 331 minutes of reading across 795 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Modern American Poetry section by section

How to work through Modern American Poetry section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Modern American Poetry to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Modern American Poetry

Words and structures a reader meets early in Modern American Poetry, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Modern American Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Challenge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Modern American Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Including
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Modern American Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Horace
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Modern American Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.