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Poems Household Edition
Poems Household Edition

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Poems Household Edition is here in full — 303 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Poems Household Edition
Context Illustration Reading 55/60 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.
Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?
Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?
Earth, crowded, cries, 'Too many men!'
My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.
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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 Household Edition

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Poems Household Edition is here in full — 303 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 55/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 271–275

Line 1
Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.
Line 2
Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?
Line 3
Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?
Line 4
Earth, crowded, cries, 'Too many men!'
/ɜːrθ ˈkraʊdəd kraɪz tuː ˈmeni men/
Line 5
My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.
/maɪ ˈkaʊnsəl ɪz kɪl naɪn ɪn ten ənd bɪˈstoʊ ðə ʃerz ʌv ɔːl ɑːn ðə ˈremnənt ˈdesəməl/

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.

abound verb US /əˈbaʊnd/

be abundant or plentiful; exist in large quantities

From this reading “Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?”

condense verb US /kənˈdens/

undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops

From this reading “Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?”

decimal noun US /ˈdesəməl/

a proper fraction whose denominator is a power of 10

From this reading “My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.”

juice noun US /dʒuːs/

the liquid part that can be extracted from plant or animal tissue by squeezing or cooking

From this reading “Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?”

overzealous adjective US /ˌoʊvərˈzeləs/

marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea

From this reading “Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.”

pump verb US /pʌmp/

operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal

From this reading “Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.”

reduce verb US /rəˈduːs/

cut down on; make a reduction in

From this reading “Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?”

slacken verb US /ˈslækən/

become slow or slower

From this reading “Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

aboundverbUS /əˈbaʊnd/

be abundant or plentiful; exist in large quantities

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

bestowverbUS /bɪˈstoʊ/

present

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

brainsnounUS /breɪnz/

plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

cleanadjectiveUS /kliːn/

free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

condenseverbUS /kənˈdens/

undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

counselnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a lawyer who pleads cases in court

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

criesnounUS /kraɪz/

plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading Earth, crowded, cries, 'Too many men!'

crowdedadjectiveUS /ˈkraʊdəd/

overfilled or compacted or concentrated

From this reading Earth, crowded, cries, 'Too many men!'

decimalnounUS /ˈdesəməl/

a proper fraction whose denominator is a power of 10

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

EarthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Earth, crowded, cries, 'Too many men!'

extense

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

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

FitsnounUS /fɪts/

plural of “fit” — a display of bad temper

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

godsnounUS /ɡɑːdz/

plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

juicenounUS /dʒuːs/

the liquid part that can be extracted from plant or animal tissue by squeezing or cooking

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

jumpverbUS /dʒʌmp/

move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

killverbUS /kɪl/

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

kindsnounUS /kaɪndz/

plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

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 Earth, crowded, cries, 'Too many men!'

MennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

ninenounUS /naɪn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

NorconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

overgrowths

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

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

overzealousadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈzeləs/

marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

perpetualadjectiveUS /pərˈpetʃuːəl/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

pumpverbUS /pʌmp/

operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

ranknounUS /ræŋk/

a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

reduceverbUS /rəˈduːs/

cut down on; make a reduction in

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

remnantnounUS /ˈremnənt/

a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

sharesnounUS /ʃerz/

plural of “share” — assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

slackenverbUS /ˈslækən/

become slow or slower

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

Steads

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

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading My counsel is, kill nine in ten, And bestow the shares of all On the remnant decimal.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

TillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

winenounUS /waɪn/

fermented juice (of grapes especially)

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

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

From this reading Fits not to be overzealous; Steads not to work on the clean jump, Nor wine nor brains perpetual pump.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Men and gods are too extense; Could you slacken and condense?

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Your rank overgrowths reduce Till your kinds abound with juice?

Chapter 1 of Poems Household Edition by Ralph Waldo Emerson holds 303 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 Poems Household Edition contain?

Chapter 1 holds 303 sentences of Poems Household Edition, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Poems Household Edition by Ralph Waldo Emerson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 303 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 Poems Household Edition?

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 Poems Household Edition

Common questions about reading Poems Household Edition by Ralph Waldo Emerson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Poems Household Edition?

Yes. All 2204 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12843 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Poems Household Edition is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12843, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Poems Household Edition take to read?

About 183 minutes of reading across 441 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Poems Household Edition section by section

How to work through Poems Household Edition section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Poems Household Edition to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Poems Household Edition

Words and structures a reader meets early in Poems Household Edition, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Cabot's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems Household Edition; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prefatory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems Household Edition; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Riverside
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems Household Edition; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems Household Edition; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.