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Poems — Volume 2
Poems — Volume 2

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Poems — Volume 2 is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 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
II
Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.
III
Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.
Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.
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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 — Volume 2

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Poems — Volume 2 is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
II
Line 2
Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.
/mæn ðə ˈeɪndʒəlz mɑːrkt hiː led ə hoʊst θruː mɜːrk ɑːn ˈfɪrfəl siːz emˈbɑːrkt mæn ðə ˈeɪndʒəlz mɑːrkt tuː θɪŋk wɪˈθaʊt ə neɪ ðæt hiː wɑːz ɡʊd æz ðeɪ ənd help hɪm æt hɪz wɜːrk/
Line 3
III
Line 4
Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.
/mæn ənd ˈeɪndʒəlz jiː ə ˈslʌɡɪʃ fen ʃæl dreɪn ʃæl kwel ə ˈwɔːrɪŋ siː/
Line 5
Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

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.

drain verb US /dreɪn/

flow off gradually

From this reading “Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.”

embarked verb US /emˈbɑːrkt/

past form of “embark” — go on board

From this reading “Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.”

fen noun US /fen/

100 fen equal 1 yuan in China

From this reading “Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.”

kindle verb US /ˈkɪndəl/

catch fire

From this reading “Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.”

murk noun US /mɜːrk/

an atmosphere in which visibility is reduced because of a cloud of some substance

From this reading “Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.”

quell verb US /kwel/

suppress or crush completely

From this reading “Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.”

sluggish adjective US /ˈslʌɡɪʃ/

moving slowly

From this reading “Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.”

warring adjective US /ˈwɔːrɪŋ/

engaged in war

From this reading “Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.”

All words in this reading · 50

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 Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

AngelsnounUS /ˈeɪndʒəlz/

plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

BearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

befouls

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

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

drainverbUS /dreɪn/

flow off gradually

From this reading Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.

embarkedverbUS /emˈbɑːrkt/

past form of “embark” — go on board

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

fearfuladjectiveUS /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

fennounUS /fen/

100 fen equal 1 yuan in China

From this reading Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

hostnounUS /hoʊst/

a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

IInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading II

IIInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading III

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

kindleverbUS /ˈkɪndəl/

catch fire

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

murknounUS /mɜːrk/

an atmosphere in which visibility is reduced because of a cloud of some substance

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

nayexclamationUS /neɪ/

an old word for “no”

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

quellverbUS /kwel/

suppress or crush completely

From this reading Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.

radiantadjectiveUS /ˈreɪdiːənt/

radiating or as if radiating light

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.

seasnounUS /siːz/

plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.

sluggishadjectiveUS /ˈslʌɡɪʃ/

moving slowly

From this reading Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.

soulsnounUS /soʊlz/

plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

stainnounUS /steɪn/

a soiled or discolored appearance

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

strifenounUS /straɪf/

lack of agreement or harmony

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

warringadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːrɪŋ/

engaged in war

From this reading Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

WhompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Man and Angels, ye, Whom stain of strife befouls, A light to kindle souls Bear radiant in the stain.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

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

From this reading Man the Angels marked: He led a host through murk, On fearful seas embarked; Man the Angels marked; To think without a nay, That he was good as they, And help him at his work.

yepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading Man and Angels, ye A sluggish fen shall drain, Shall quell a warring sea.

Chapter 15 of Poems — Volume 2 by George Meredith holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 15 of Poems — Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 15 holds 149 sentences of Poems — Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Poems — Volume 2 by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 15 of Poems — Volume 2?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 2832 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, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Poems — Volume 2 take to read?

About 236 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

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Poems — Volume 2

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

Transcribed
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.
Times
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.
Surrey
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.
Edition
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.