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Poems by Walt Whitman
Poems by Walt Whitman

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Poems by Walt Whitman is here in full — 298 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Poems by Walt Whitman
Context Illustration Reading 1/59 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.
If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.
He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.
He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.
What the eyesight does to the rest he does to the rest.
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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.

Poems by Walt Whitman

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Poems by Walt Whitman is here in full — 298 sentences across 60 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/59 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.
/ðə ˈɡreɪtəst ˈpoʊət ˈhɑːrdli noʊz ˈpetinəs ɔːr ˌtrɪviˈælətiː/
Line 2
If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.
Line 3
He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.
Line 4
He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.
Line 5
What the eyesight does to the rest he does to the rest.
/wʌt ðə ˈaɪsaɪt dʌz tuː ðə rest hiː dʌz tuː ðə rest/

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.

breathes verb US /briːðz/

third-person singular of “breathe” — draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

From this reading “If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.”

eyesight noun US /ˈaɪsaɪt/

normal use of the faculty of vision

From this reading “What the eyesight does to the rest he does to the rest.”

grandeur noun US /ɡrænˈduːr/

the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand

From this reading “If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.”

pettiness noun US /ˈpetinəs/

narrowness of mind or ideas or views

From this reading “The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.”

regulation noun US /ˌreɡjəˈleɪʃən/

an authoritative rule

From this reading “He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.”

seer noun US /siːr/

a person with unusual powers of foresight

From this reading “He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.”

triviality noun US /ˌtrɪviˈælətiː/

the quality of being unimportant and petty or frivolous

From this reading “The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.”

universe noun US /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading “If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

breathesverbUS /briːðz/

third-person singular of “breathe” — draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

chorusnounUS /ˈkɔːrəs/

any utterance produced simultaneously by a group

From this reading He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

dilates

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

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.

eyesightnounUS /ˈaɪsaɪt/

normal use of the faculty of vision

From this reading What the eyesight does to the rest he does to the rest.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

grandeurnounUS /ɡrænˈduːr/

the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/

highest in quality

From this reading The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

individualadjectiveUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.

others

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

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

pettinessnounUS /ˈpetinəs/

narrowness of mind or ideas or views

From this reading The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.

poetnounUS /ˈpoʊət/

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

From this reading The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.

PresidentnounUS /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.

regulationnounUS /ˌreɡjəˈleɪʃən/

an authoritative rule

From this reading He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading What the eyesight does to the rest he does to the rest.

seernounUS /siːr/

a person with unusual powers of foresight

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

seesnounUS /siːz/

plural of “see” — the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading He is not one of the chorus--he does not stop for any regulation--he is the President of regulation.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He is a seer--he is individual--he is complete in himself: the others are as good as he; only he sees it, and they do not.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading What the eyesight does to the rest he does to the rest.

trivialitynounUS /ˌtrɪviˈælətiː/

the quality of being unimportant and petty or frivolous

From this reading The greatest poet hardly knows pettiness or triviality.

universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What the eyesight does to the rest he does to the rest.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If he breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe.

Chapter 2 of Poems by Walt Whitman by Walt Whitman holds 298 sentences, grouped into 60 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 2 of Poems by Walt Whitman contain?

Chapter 2 holds 298 sentences of Poems by Walt Whitman, unabridged, divided into 60 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Poems by Walt Whitman by Walt Whitman exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 298 sentences, grouped into 60 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 2 of Poems by Walt Whitman?

Work through the 60 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 60 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Poems by Walt Whitman

Common questions about reading Poems by Walt Whitman by Walt Whitman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Poems by Walt Whitman?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Poems by Walt Whitman is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Poems by Walt Whitman

Words and structures a reader meets early in Poems by Walt Whitman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Poems by Walt Whitman, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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