Outlook Odes

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Outlook Odes is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By T. W. H. (Thomas William Hodgson) Crosland • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

VII CECIL COURT W.C.

TO THE GLASGOW MAGISTRATES (_On their proposal to banish barmaids._) TO THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (_Before his retirement._) TO PRINCE EDWARD OF YORK (_On the return of the "Ophir."_) TO THE _DAILY MAIL_ (_August_ 3, 1901.)

TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter I Reading 1/61

Outlook Odes T. W. H. (Thomas William Hodgson) Crosland

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Outlook Odes is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c. VII CECIL COURT W.C. TO THE GLASGOW MAGISTRATES (_On their proposal to banish barmaids._) TO THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (_Before his retirement._) TO PRINCE EDWARD OF YORK (_On the return of the "Ophir."_) TO THE _DAILY MAIL_ (_August_ 3, 1901.) TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business. But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

Outlook Odes

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Outlook Odes is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

/ˈɔːθər ʌv ðə ənˈspiːkəbəl skɑːt ˈlɪtəreri ˈperəbəlz ðə ˈfaɪnər ˈspɪrət siː/

Line 2

VII CECIL COURT W.C.

Line 3

Line 4

TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

/tuː ˈevribɑːdi tuː ðə ˈpraɪvət ˈmembər maɪ dɪr sɜːr juː meɪ θɪŋk ɪt ənˈkaɪnd ʌv miː tuː ˌɪntərˈʌpt ðə ˈpiːsfəl kɑːm ʌv jɔːr ˈhɑːlədeɪ wɪð ə ˈpoʊəm əˈbaʊt ˈbɪznəs/

Line 5

But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

/bʌt aɪ əˈʃʊr juː maɪ dɪr sɜːr ðæt aɪ duː soʊ wɪð ðə ˈveri best ˌɪnˈtentʃənz ənd æt ðə kɔːl ʌv wʌt aɪ kənˈsɪdər tuː biː ˈduːti/

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.

banish verb US /ˈbænɪʃ/

expel from a community or group

From this reading “TO THE GLASGOW MAGISTRATES (_On their proposal to banish barmaids._) TO THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (_Before his retirement._) TO PRINCE EDWARD OF YORK (_On the return of the "Ophir."_) TO THE _DAILY MAIL_ (_August_ 3, 1901.)”

exchequer noun US /ˈekstʃekər/

the funds of a government or institution or individual

glasgow noun US /ˈɡlæskoʊ/

largest city in Scotland; a port on the Clyde in west central Scotland; one of the great shipbuilding centers of the world

magistrates noun US /ˈmædʒɪstreɪts/

plural of “magistrate” — a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law (especially one who conducts a court dealing with minor offenses)

parables noun US /ˈperəbəlz/

plural of “parable” — a short moral story (often with animal characters)

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.”

retirement noun US /riˈtaɪərmənt/

the state of being retired from one's business or occupation

scot noun US /skɑːt/

a native or inhabitant of Scotland

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.”

unspeakable adjective US /ənˈspiːkəbəl/

defying expression or description

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.”

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.

dear Sir adjective + noun

In this reading “TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.”

best intentions noun + noun counted as “best intention”

In this reading “But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.”

very best adjective + noun

In this reading “But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.”

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.

1901

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

From this reading TO THE GLASGOW MAGISTRATES (_On their proposal to banish barmaids._) TO THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (_Before his retirement._) TO PRINCE EDWARD OF YORK (_On the return of the "Ophir."_) TO THE _DAILY MAIL_ (_August_ 3, 1901.)

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

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

assureverbUS /əˈʃʊr/

make certain of

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

banishverbUS /ˈbænɪʃ/

expel from a community or group

barmaids

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

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

cnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

CECIL

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

From this reading VII CECIL COURT W.C.

CHANCELLORnounUS /ˈtʃænsələr/

the British cabinet minister responsible for finance

considerverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

COURTnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading VII CECIL COURT W.C.

DAILYadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

EDWARDnounUS /ˈedwərd/

King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)

EVERYBODYpronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

EXCHEQUERnounUS /ˈekstʃekər/

the funds of a government or institution or individual

FINERadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnər/

(comparative of “fine”) greater in quality or excellence

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

GLASGOWnounUS /ˈɡlæskoʊ/

largest city in Scotland; a port on the Clyde in west central Scotland; one of the great shipbuilding centers of the world

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

intentionsnounUS /ˌɪnˈtentʃənz/

plural of “intention” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

interruptverbUS /ˌɪntərˈʌpt/

make a break in

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

LITERARYadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/

of or relating to or characteristic of literature

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

MAGISTRATESnounUS /ˈmædʒɪstreɪts/

plural of “magistrate” — a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law (especially one who conducts a court dealing with minor offenses)

MAILnounUS /meɪl/

the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

MEMBERnounUS /ˈmembər/

one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

Ophir

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

PARABLESnounUS /ˈperəbəlz/

plural of “parable” — a short moral story (often with animal characters)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/

not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

poemnounUS /ˈpoʊəm/

a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

PRINCEnounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

PRIVATEadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

proposalnounUS /prəˈpoʊzəl/

something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)

retirementnounUS /riˈtaɪərmənt/

the state of being retired from one's business or occupation

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

SCOTnounUS /skɑːt/

a native or inhabitant of Scotland

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

SPIRITnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

unkindadjectiveUS /ənˈkaɪnd/

lacking kindness

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

UNSPEAKABLEadjectiveUS /ənˈspiːkəbəl/

defying expression or description

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE UNSPEAKABLE SCOT," "LITERARY PARABLES," "THE FINER SPIRIT," &c.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

VIInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading VII CECIL COURT W.C.

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading VII CECIL COURT W.C.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading But I assure you, my dear sir, That I do so with the very best intentions, And at the call of what I consider to be duty.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

YORKnounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading TO EVERYBODY TO THE PRIVATE MEMBER My dear Sir,-- You may think it unkind of me To interrupt the peaceful calm of your holiday With a poem about business.

Chapter 1 of Outlook Odes by T. W. H. (Thomas William Hodgson) Crosland holds 305 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 Outlook Odes contain?

Chapter 1 holds 305 sentences of Outlook Odes, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Outlook Odes by T. W. H. (Thomas William Hodgson) Crosland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 305 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 Outlook Odes?

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 Outlook Odes

Common questions about reading Outlook Odes by T. W. H. (Thomas William Hodgson) Crosland on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Outlook Odes?

Yes. All 625 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37085 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Outlook Odes is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37085, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Outlook Odes take to read?

About 52 minutes of reading across 125 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Outlook Odes

Words and structures a reader meets early in Outlook Odes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Outlook Odes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unspeakable: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Outlook Odes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Literary: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Outlook Odes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Parables: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Outlook Odes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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