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Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches
Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches is here in full — 304 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By James Whitcomb Riley • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches
Context Illustration Reading 1/60 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.
As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.
He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.
Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."
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.

Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches is here in full — 304 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.
Line 2
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.
/ˈbʊkbaɪndərz ənd ˈprɪntərz ˈbrʊklən en waɪ/
Line 3
As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.
/æz fɑːr bæk ˈɪntuː ˈbɔɪhʊd æz ðə ˈraɪtərz ˈmem.ər.i meɪ ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli ɡoʊ ðə ˈkʌntri ˈpoʊət ɪz moʊst ˈplezəntli rɪˈkɔːld/
Line 4
He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.
/hiː wɑːz ənd ɪz æz ˈkɑːmən æz ðə ˈkʌntri ˈfɪdələr ənd æz fʊl ʌv ɡʊd ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd ˈmjuːzɪk/
Line 5
Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."
/nɑːt ə ˈmæstər ʌv ˈmelədi ˌɪnˈdiːd bʌt ə ˈpoʊət ˈsɜːrtənli huː θruː lɔːŋ deɪz ʌv ˈleɪbər ənd naɪts dɪˈvɔɪd ʌv iːz stɪl hɜːrd ɪn hɪz soʊl ðə ˈmjuːzɪk ʌv ˈwʌndərfəl ˈmelədiz/

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.

bookbinders noun US /ˈbʊkbaɪndərz/

plural of “bookbinder” — a worker whose trade is binding books

From this reading “BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brooklyn noun US /ˈbrʊklən/

a borough of New York City

From this reading “BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
devoid adjective US /dɪˈvɔɪd/

completely wanting or lacking

From this reading “Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fiddler noun US /ˈfɪdələr/

a musician who plays the violin

From this reading “He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intelligently adverb US /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading “As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
melodies noun US /ˈmelədiz/

plural of “melody” — a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading “Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
printers noun US /ˈprɪntərz/

plural of “printer” — someone whose occupation is printing

From this reading “BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
writer's noun US /ˈraɪtərz/

possessive form of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 57

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BOOKBINDERSnounUS /ˈbʊkbaɪndərz/

plural of “bookbinder” — a worker whose trade is binding books

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boyhoodnounUS /ˈbɔɪhʊd/

the childhood of a boy

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BRAUNWORTH

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

From this reading PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.

Pending verification
BROOKLYNnounUS /ˈbrʊklən/

a borough of New York City

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
devoidadjectiveUS /dɪˈvɔɪd/

completely wanting or lacking

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
easeverbUS /iːz/

move gently or carefully

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fiddlernounUS /ˈfɪdələr/

a musician who plays the violin

From this reading He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intelligentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
labornounUS /ˈleɪbər/

a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
melodiesnounUS /ˈmelədiz/

plural of “melody” — a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
melodynounUS /ˈmelədi/

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

Velmora curated lexicon
mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightsnounUS /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

Velmora curated lexicon
NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/

out of fashion

From this reading He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
poetnounUS /ˈpoʊət/

a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PRESSverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading PRESS OF BRAUNWORTH & CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PRINTERSnounUS /ˈprɪntərz/

plural of “printer” — someone whose occupation is printing

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recalledverbUS /rɪˈkɔːld/

past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

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 As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was, and is, as common as the "country fiddler," and as full of good old-fashioned music.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Not a master of melody, indeed, but a poet, certainly-- "Who, through long days of labor, And nights devoid of ease, Still heard in his soul the music Of wonderful melodies."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
writer'snounUS /ˈraɪtərz/

possessive form of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading As far back into boyhood as the writer's memory may intelligently go, the "country poet" is most pleasantly recalled.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YnounUS /waɪ/

a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys

From this reading BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS BROOKLYN, N. Y.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches by James Whitcomb Riley holds 304 sentences, grouped into 61 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 Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches contain?

Chapter 1 holds 304 sentences of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches by James Whitcomb Riley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 304 sentences, grouped into 61 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 Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches?

Work through the 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 61 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 Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches

Common questions about reading Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches by James Whitcomb Riley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 1027 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37074 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37074, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches take to read?

About 85 minutes of reading across 206 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches section by section

How to work through Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches

Words and structures a reader meets early in Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Braunworth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bookbinders
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Printers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Neghborly Poems and Dialect Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.