Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Moth and Rust
Moth and Rust

Chapter XIII

Cover illustration for Moth and Rust
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;
And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."
--EMILY DICKINSON.
There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."
There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.
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.

Moth and Rust

Chapter XIII

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;
Line 2
And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."
Line 3
--EMILY DICKINSON.
Line 4
There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."
Line 5
There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;”

Journey noun US /ˈjourney/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.”

Liberty noun US /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading “And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “"The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;”

Till preposition US /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.”

All words in this reading · 60

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

all

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

also

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

anodynes

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

asks

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

bivouac

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

day

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

deaden

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

DICKINSON

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

From this reading --EMILY DICKINSON.

die

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

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

dim

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

EMILY

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

From this reading --EMILY DICKINSON.

endless

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

excuse

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

fires

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

go

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

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

heart

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

holds

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

Inquisitor

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

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

journeynounUS /ˈjourney/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

pain

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

periods

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

plain

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

pleasure

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

quenched

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

rains

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

road

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

sleep

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

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

suffering

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

then

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

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

There

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading "The heart asks pleasure first, And then, excuse from pain; And then, those little anodynes That deaden suffering;

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

uphill

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.

way

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading And then, to go to sleep; And then if it should be The will of its Inquisitor, The liberty to die."

winds

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

From this reading There are long periods in the journey of life when "the road winds uphill all the way."

youth

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

From this reading There are also long periods when the dim plain holds us, endless day after day, till the last bivouac fires of our youth are quenched in its rains.