Oscar Wilde

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Oscar Wilde is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Guy Thorne • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.

He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

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Chapter VII Reading 1/43

Oscar Wilde Guy Thorne

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Oscar Wilde is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY The greatest claim that Wilde made for himself was that he was a high priest of aesthetics, that he had a new message concerning the relations of beauty and the worship of beauty to life and art, to life and to morals to give to the world. This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed. He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation. He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school. Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

Oscar Wilde

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Oscar Wilde is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

/ðə fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi ʌv ˈbjuːti ðə fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi ʌv ˈbjuːti ðə ˈɡreɪtəst kleɪm ðæt waɪld meɪd fɔːr hɪmˈself wɑːz ðæt hiː wɑːz ə haɪ priːst ʌv esˈθetɪks ðæt hiː hæd ə nuː ˈmesədʒ kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ ðə riˈleɪʃənz ʌv ˈbjuːti ənd ðə ˈwɜːrʃəp ʌv ˈbjuːti tuː laɪf ənd ɑːrt tuː laɪf ənd tuː ˈmɔːrəlz tuː ɡɪv tuː ðə wɜːrld/

Line 2

This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

/ðɪs kleɪm wɑːz wʌn ɪn wɪtʃ tuː ðə læst hiː pəˈθetɪkəli bɪˈliːvd/

Line 3

He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.

/hiː wɑːz ˌæbsəˈluːtli ˈsɜːrtən ɪn hɪz oʊn maɪnd ðæt ðɪs wɑːz hɪz voʊˈkeɪʃən/

Line 4

He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

/hiː ɪˈlæbəreɪtəd ə sɔːrt ʌv fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi ʌv ˈbjuːti wɪtʃ nɑːt ˈoʊnli pliːzd ənd ˈsætəsfaɪd hɪmˈself bʌt faʊnd ˈveri ˈmeni ædˈhɪrənts ənd bɪˈkeɪm ðə ˈdɑːɡmə ʌv ə skuːl/

Line 5

Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

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.

adherents noun US /ædˈhɪrənts/

plural of “adherent” — someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another

From this reading “He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.”

aesthetics noun US /esˈθetɪks/

(art) the branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste (emphasizing the evaluative criteria that are applied to art)

From this reading “THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY The greatest claim that Wilde made for himself was that he was a high priest of aesthetics, that he had a new message concerning the relations of beauty and the worship of beauty to life and art, to life and to morals to give to the world.”

dogma noun US /ˈdɑːɡmə/

a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof

From this reading “He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.”

elaborated adjective US /ɪˈlæbəreɪtəd/

developed or executed with care and in minute detail

From this reading “He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.”

pathetically adverb US /pəˈθetɪkəli/

in a manner arousing sympathy and compassion

From this reading “This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.”

regenerate verb US /riˈdʒenəreɪt/

reestablish on a new, usually improved, basis or make new or like new

From this reading “Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.”

vocation noun US /voʊˈkeɪʃən/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading “He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.”

Wilde noun US /waɪld/

Irish writer and wit (1854-1900)

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.

high priest adjective + noun

a preeminent authority or major proponent of a movement or doctrine

In this reading “THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY The greatest claim that Wilde made for himself was that he was a high priest of aesthetics, that he had a new message concerning the relations of beauty and the worship of beauty to life and art, to life and to morals to give to the world.”

absolutely certain adverb + adjective

In this reading “He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.”

in the middle preposition + article + noun counted as “in … middle”

In this reading “Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.”

own mind verb + noun

In this reading “He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY The greatest claim that Wilde made for himself was that he was a high priest of aesthetics, that he had a new message concerning the relations of beauty and the worship of beauty to life and art, to life and to morals to give to the world.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

absolutelyadverbUS /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.

adherentsnounUS /ædˈhɪrənts/

plural of “adherent” — someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

aestheticsnounUS /esˈθetɪks/

(art) the branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste (emphasizing the evaluative criteria that are applied to art)

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

BEAUTYnounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

believesverbUS /bɪˈliːvz/

third-person singular of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.

claimnounUS /kleɪm/

an assertion of a right (as to money or property)

concerningverbUS /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to

DenounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

degradationnounUS /ˌdeɡrəˈdeɪʃən/

changing to a lower state (a less respected state)

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

dogmanounUS /ˈdɑːɡmə/

a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

elaboratedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæbəreɪtəd/

developed or executed with care and in minute detail

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/

highest in quality

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.

miserynounUS /ˈmɪzəri/

a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

moralsnounUS /ˈmɔːrəlz/

motivation based on ideas of right and wrong

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.

patheticallyadverbUS /pəˈθetɪkəli/

in a manner arousing sympathy and compassion

From this reading This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

PHILOSOPHYnounUS /fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi/

The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. (Triết học, đạo lý nhân sinh.)

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

priestnounUS /priːst/

a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

Profundis

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

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

regenerateverbUS /riˈdʒenəreɪt/

reestablish on a new, usually improved, basis or make new or like new

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

relationsnounUS /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

satisfiedadjectiveUS /ˈsætəsfaɪd/

filled with satisfaction

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He elaborated a sort of philosophy of beauty which not only pleased and satisfied himself, but found very many adherents, and became the dogma of a school.

vocationnounUS /voʊˈkeɪʃən/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading He was absolutely certain in his own mind that this was his vocation.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading This claim was one in which to the last he pathetically believed.

WildenounUS /waɪld/

Irish writer and wit (1854-1900)

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

worshipverbUS /ˈwɜːrʃəp/

love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading Even in this last work, "De Profundis," written in the middle of his degradation and misery, he still believes that it is by art that he will be able to regenerate his spirit.

Chapter 7 of Oscar Wilde by Guy Thorne holds 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 7 of Oscar Wilde contain?

Chapter 7 holds 216 sentences of Oscar Wilde, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Oscar Wilde by Guy Thorne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 7 of Oscar Wilde?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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.

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Yes. All 4358 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38251 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #38251, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 363 minutes of reading across 872 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Words and structures a reader meets early in Oscar Wilde, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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Chapter VII

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