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Poems Every Child Should Know
Poems Every Child Should Know

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Poems Every Child Should Know
Context Illustration Reading 6/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.
To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for The Planting of the Apple-Tree and Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.
To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.
To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, The Babie,” from Ingleside Rhaims.”
To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for A Chrysalis.”
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Poems Every Child Should Know

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 6/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 26–30

Line 1
To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.
Line 2
To D. APPLETON & COMPANY forThe Planting of the Apple-TreeandRobert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also forMarco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.
Line 3
To the MACMILLAN COMPANY forThe Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.
Line 4
To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” fromIngleside Rhaims.”
Line 5
To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY forA Chrysalis.”

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.

appleton noun US /ˈæpəltən/

English physicist remembered for his studies of the ionosphere (1892-1966)

From this reading “To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.”

bradley noun US /ˈbrædli/

United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998)

From this reading “To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.””

Chrysalis noun US /ˈkrɪsəlɪs/

pupa of a moth or butterfly enclosed in a cocoon

From this reading “To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.””

copyrighted adjective US /ˈkɑːpiraɪtɪd/

(of literary or musical or dramatic or artistic work) protected by copyright

From this reading “To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.”

heirs noun US /erz/

plural of “heir” — a person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another

From this reading “To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.””

Jeremiah noun US /ˌdʒerəˈmaɪə/

(Old Testament) an Israelite prophet who is remembered for his angry lamentations (jeremiads) about the wickedness of his people (circa 626-587 BC)

From this reading “To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.””

Merman noun US /ˈmɜːrmæn/

United States singer who appeared in several musical comedies (1909-1984)

From this reading “To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for “The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.”

Planting noun US /ˈplæntɪŋ/

the act of fixing firmly in place

From this reading “To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.”

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

Apple-Tree

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

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

APPLETONnounUS /ˈæpəltən/

English physicist remembered for his studies of the ionosphere (1892-1966)

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

ArnoldnounUS /ˈɑːrnəld/

English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)

From this reading To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for “The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.

Babie

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

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

Bozzaris

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

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

BRADLEYnounUS /ˈbrædli/

United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998)

From this reading To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.”

Bryant

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

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

ChrysalisnounUS /ˈkrɪsəlɪs/

pupa of a moth or butterfly enclosed in a cocoon

From this reading To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.”

ColumbusnounUS /kəˈlʌmbəs/

the state capital of Ohio; located in the center of the state; site of Ohio State University

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

COMPANYnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

copyrightedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːpiraɪtɪd/

(of literary or musical or dramatic or artistic work) protected by copyright

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

Cullen

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

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

EMILY

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

From this reading To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.”

Fitz-Greene

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

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

ForsakenverbUS /fɔːrˈseɪkən/

inflected form of “forsake” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for “The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.

Francisco

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

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

Halleck

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

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

heirsnounUS /erz/

plural of “heir” — a person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another

From this reading To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.”

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

HOWARDnounUS /ˈhaʊərd/

English actor of stage and screen (1893-1943)

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

Ingleside

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

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

JeremiahnounUS /ˌdʒerəˈmaɪə/

(Old Testament) an Israelite prophet who is remembered for his angry lamentations (jeremiads) about the wickedness of his people (circa 626-587 BC)

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

Joaquin

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

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

LincolnnounUS /ˈlɪŋkən/

16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

MACMILLAN

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

From this reading To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for “The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.

Marco

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

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

MARYnounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading To the heirs of MARY EMILY BRADLEY for “A Chrysalis.”

MatthewnounUS /ˈmæθjuː/

(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel

From this reading To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for “The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.

MermannounUS /ˈmɜːrmæn/

United States singer who appeared in several musical comedies (1909-1984)

From this reading To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for “The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.

MillernounUS /ˈmɪlər/

United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

PlantingnounUS /ˈplæntɪŋ/

the act of fixing firmly in place

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

poemnounUS /ˈpoʊəm/

a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

poemsnounUS /ˈpoʊəmz/

plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for “The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.

PRINTnounUS /prɪnt/

the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

publishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌblɪʃt/

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

Rankin's

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

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

RAYnounUS /reɪ/

a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

Rhaims

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

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

RobertnounUS /ˈrɑːbərt/

United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

San

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

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

UNIVERSITYnounUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəti/

the body of faculty and students at a university

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

volumenounUS /ˈvɑːljuːm/

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading To the MACMILLAN COMPANY for “The Forsaken Merman,” by Matthew Arnold, from the complete volume of his poems published by that company.

WashingtonnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən/

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading To the HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRINT, Washington, D.C., for Jeremiah Rankin’s little poem, “The Babie,” from “Ingleside Rhaims.”

WHITAKER

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

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

William

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

From this reading To D. APPLETON & COMPANY for “The Planting of the Apple-Tree” and “Robert of Lincoln,” from the complete works of William Cullen Bryant; also for “Marco Bozzaris,” from the works of Fitz-Greene Halleck.

worksnounUS /wɜːrks/

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading To the WHITAKER & RAY COMPANY, of San Francisco, “Columbus,” by Joaquin Miller, from his complete works published and copyrighted by that company.

Chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know by Mary E. (Mary Elizabeth) [Editor] Burt holds 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Poems Every Child Should Know contain?

Chapter 1 holds 399 sentences of Poems Every Child Should Know, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know by Mary E. (Mary Elizabeth) [Editor] Burt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Poems Every Child Should Know?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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.

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Is this the complete text of Poems Every Child Should Know?

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Which edition of Poems Every Child Should Know is used?

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

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Vocabulary met early in Poems Every Child Should Know

Words and structures a reader meets early in Poems Every Child Should Know, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Poems Every Child Should Know, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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