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Poems — Volume 2
Poems — Volume 2

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Poems — Volume 2 is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Poems — Volume 2
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
XXXVII
O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!
XXXVIII
To err in mind, sir .
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Poems — Volume 2

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Poems — Volume 2 is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
XXXVII
Line 2
O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!
/oʊ fɔːr æn ˈɪmədʒ ˈmædəm ɪn wʌn wɜːrd tuː ʃoʊ juː æz ðə ˈlaɪtnɪŋ naɪt rɪˈviːlz jɔːr ˈerər ənd jɔːr ˈperəlz juː hæv erd ɪn maɪnd ˈoʊnli ənd ðə ˈperəlz ðæt ɪnˈsuː swɪft hiːlz meɪ ˈsɑːfən werˈfɔːr tuː swɪft hiːlz ˈædres jɔːr hoʊps ʌv ˈseɪfti juː/
Line 3
XXXVIII
Line 4
To err in mind, sir .
/tuː er ɪn maɪnd sɜːr/
Line 5

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.

ensue verb US /ɪnˈsuː/

issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end

From this reading “—O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!”

err verb US /er/

to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading “—To err in mind, sir .”

erred verb US /erd/

past form of “err” — to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading “—O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!”

error noun US /ˈerər/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading “—O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!”

perils noun US /ˈperəlz/

plural of “peril” — a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading “—O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!”

reveals verb US /rɪˈviːlz/

third-person singular of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading “—O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!”

soften verb US /ˈsɑːfən/

make (images or sounds) soft or softer

From this reading “—O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!”

wherefore adverb US /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading “—O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!”

All words in this reading · 39

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.

AddressverbUS /ˈædres/

speak to

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

ensueverbUS /ɪnˈsuː/

issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

errverbUS /er/

to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading —To err in mind, sir .

erredverbUS /erd/

past form of “err” — to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

errornounUS /ˈerər/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

heelsnounUS /hiːlz/

plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

hopesnounUS /hoʊps/

plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

imagenounUS /ˈɪmədʒ/

an iconic mental representation

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

lightningnounUS /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/

abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

madamnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

perilsnounUS /ˈperəlz/

plural of “peril” — a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

revealsverbUS /rɪˈviːlz/

third-person singular of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

safetynounUS /ˈseɪfti/

the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading —To err in mind, sir .

softenverbUS /ˈsɑːfən/

make (images or sounds) soft or softer

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

SwiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

whereforeadverbUS /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

XXXVIIadjective

being seven more than thirty

From this reading XXXVII

XXXVIIIadjective

being eight more than thirty

From this reading XXXVIII

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading —O for an image, madam, in one word, To show you as the lightning night reveals, Your error and your perils: you have erred In mind only, and the perils that ensue Swift heels may soften; wherefore to swift heels Address your hopes of safety you!

Chapter 9 of Poems — Volume 2 by George Meredith holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 9 of Poems — Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 9 holds 145 sentences of Poems — Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Poems — Volume 2 by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 9 of Poems — Volume 2?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 — Volume 2

Common questions about reading Poems — Volume 2 by George Meredith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Poems — Volume 2?

Yes. All 2831 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1382 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Poems — Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1382, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Poems — Volume 2 take to read?

About 235 minutes of reading across 567 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Poems — Volume 2 section by section

How to work through Poems — Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of Poems — Volume 2 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 — Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in Poems — Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Picture
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cover
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Poems
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
George
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.