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Modern Prose And Poetry
Modern Prose And Poetry

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Modern Prose And Poetry is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Modern Prose And Poetry
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.
That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!
Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.
What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?
Soldiers heedless of their harry?
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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.

Modern Prose And Poetry

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Modern Prose And Poetry is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.
Line 2
That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!
Line 3
Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.
/ˈkerləs wer ˈaʊər feɪs ɪz set let ʌs teɪk ðə ˈoʊ.pən weɪ/
Line 4
What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?
Line 5
Soldiers heedless of their harry?

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.

bathe verb US /beɪð/

cleanse the entire body

From this reading “We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.”

Careless adjective US /ˈkerləs/

marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

From this reading “Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.”

darkened adjective US /ˈdɑːrkənd/

(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time

From this reading “We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.”

marge noun US /mɑːrdʒ/

a spread made chiefly from vegetable oils and used as a substitute for butter

From this reading “We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.”

plunged verb US /plʌndʒd/

past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading “We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.”

Rash noun US /ræʃ/

any red eruption of the skin

From this reading “We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.”

rivers noun US /ˈrɪvərz/

plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading “We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.”

swaying verb US /ˈsweɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading “We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

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 We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

batheverbUS /beɪð/

cleanse the entire body

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

begunverbUS /bɪˈɡʌn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

CarelessadjectiveUS /ˈkerləs/

marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

From this reading Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.

darkenedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənd/

(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

Errand-goers

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

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

forgetverbUS /fərˈɡet/

dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

harryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading Soldiers heedless of their harry?

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

heedlessadjective

marked by or paying little heed or attention

From this reading Soldiers heedless of their harry?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!

lo

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

From this reading That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!

margenounUS /mɑːrdʒ/

a spread made chiefly from vegetable oils and used as a substitute for butter

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

midnightnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

plungedverbUS /plʌndʒd/

past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

RashnounUS /ræʃ/

any red eruption of the skin

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

riversnounUS /ˈrɪvərz/

plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.

siderealadjective

of or relating to the stars or constellations

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

SoldiersnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading Soldiers heedless of their harry?

soulsnounUS /soʊlz/

plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

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

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

swayingverbUS /ˈsweɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Soldiers heedless of their harry?

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading That is lives and lives behind us--lo, our journey is begun!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We have felt the ancient swaying Of the earth before the sun, On the darkened marge of midnight heard sidereal rivers playing; Rash it was to bathe our souls there, but we plunged and all was done.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Careless where our face is set, Let us take the open way.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading What we are no tongue has told us: Errand-goers who forget?

Chapter 8 of Modern Prose And Poetry by Margaret [Editor] Ashmun holds 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 8 of Modern Prose And Poetry contain?

Chapter 8 holds 399 sentences of Modern Prose And Poetry, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Modern Prose And Poetry by Margaret [Editor] Ashmun exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 8 of Modern Prose And Poetry?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Prose And Poetry

Common questions about reading Modern Prose And Poetry by Margaret [Editor] Ashmun on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Modern Prose And Poetry?

Yes. All 4895 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17160 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Modern Prose And Poetry is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17160, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Modern Prose And Poetry take to read?

About 407 minutes of reading across 979 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Modern Prose And Poetry section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of Modern Prose And 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 Prose And Poetry

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

Margaret
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Modern Prose And Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ashmun
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Modern Prose And Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Formerly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Modern Prose And Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Instructor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Modern Prose And Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.