Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Poems — Volume 3
Poems — Volume 3

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Poems — Volume 3 is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Poems — Volume 3
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
II
Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.
What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.
III
She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 3

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Poems — Volume 3 is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
II
Line 2
Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.
/əˈsliːp əˈpɑːn hɜːr ˈeɪn.ʃənt diːdz ʃiː hʌɡz ðə ˈvɪʒən ˈpleθərə briːdz ənd kaʊnts hɜːr ˈmænəfoʊld ˌɪnˈkriːs ʌv ˈtreʒər ɪn ðə fruːts ʌv piːs/
Line 3
What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.
Line 4
III
Line 5
She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

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.

boasts noun US /boʊsts/

plural of “boast” — speaking of yourself in superlatives

From this reading “She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.”

breeds noun US /briːdz/

plural of “breed” — a special variety of domesticated animals within a species

From this reading “Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.”

hugs noun US /hʌɡz/

plural of “hug” — a tight or amorous embrace

From this reading “Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.”

impious adjective US /ˌɪmˈpaɪəs/

lacking piety or reverence for a god

From this reading “She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.”

Mindless adjective US /ˈmaɪndləs/

lacking the thinking capacity characteristic of a conscious being

From this reading “She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.”

plethora noun US /ˈpleθərə/

extreme excess

From this reading “Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.”

shatters verb US /ˈʃætərz/

third-person singular of “shatter” — break into many pieces

From this reading “What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.”

wreaked verb US /riːkt/

past form of “wreak” — cause to happen or to occur as a consequence

From this reading “What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.”

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.

activeadjectiveUS /ˈæktɪv/

tending to become more severe or wider in scope

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

AsleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/

in a state of sleep

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

boastsnounUS /boʊsts/

plural of “boast” — speaking of yourself in superlatives

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

brainnounUS /breɪn/

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 She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

breedsnounUS /briːdz/

plural of “breed” — a special variety of domesticated animals within a species

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

contentnounUS /ˈkɑːntent/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

countsnounUS /kaʊnts/

plural of “count” — the total number counted

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

cradlenounUS /ˈkreɪdəl/

a baby bed with sides and rockers

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

cursenounUS /kɜːrs/

profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

deedsnounUS /diːdz/

performance of moral or religious acts

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

dreadnounUS /dred/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

earth'snounUS /ɜːrθs/

possessive form of “earth” — the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

fruitsnounUS /fruːts/

plural of “fruit” — the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

heededverbUS /ˈhiːdəd/

past form of “heed” — pay close attention to; give heed to

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

HostsnounUS /hoʊsts/

plural of “host” — 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 She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

hugsnounUS /hʌɡz/

plural of “hug” — a tight or amorous embrace

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

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

impiousadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpaɪəs/

lacking piety or reverence for a god

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

improvidentadjective

not provident; not providing for the future

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

increasenounUS /ˌɪnˈkriːs/

a quantity that is added

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

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

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

manifoldnounUS /ˈmænəfoʊld/

a pipe that has several lateral outlets to or from other pipes

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

MindlessadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪndləs/

lacking the thinking capacity characteristic of a conscious being

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

offspringnounUS /ˈɔːfsprɪŋ/

the immediate descendants of a person

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

peacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

plethoranounUS /ˈpleθərə/

extreme excess

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

prayernounUS /prer/

the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

rockedverbUS /rɑːkt/

past form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

shattersverbUS /ˈʃætərz/

third-person singular of “shatter” — break into many pieces

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

smilesnounUS /smaɪlz/

plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

treasurenounUS /ˈtreʒər/

accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

trumpetverbUS /ˈtrʌmpət/

proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

valournoun

the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle)

From this reading She, impious to the Lord of Hosts, The valour of her offspring boasts, Mindless that now on land and main His heeded prayer is active brain.

visionnounUS /ˈvɪʒən/

a vivid mental image

From this reading Asleep upon her ancient deeds, She hugs the vision plethora breeds, And counts her manifold increase Of treasure in the fruits of peace.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

wreakedverbUS /riːkt/

past form of “wreak” — cause to happen or to occur as a consequence

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading What curse on earth’s improvident, When the dread trumpet shatters rest, Is wreaked, she knows, yet smiles content As cradle rocked from breast.

Chapter 8 of Poems — Volume 3 by George Meredith holds 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 8 of Poems — Volume 3 contain?

Chapter 8 holds 133 sentences of Poems — Volume 3, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Poems — Volume 3 by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 8 of Poems — Volume 3?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 3

Common questions about reading Poems — Volume 3 by George Meredith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Poems — Volume 3?

Yes. All 2060 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1383 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Poems — Volume 3 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1383, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Poems — Volume 3 take to read?

About 171 minutes of reading across 412 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Poems — Volume 3 section by section

How to work through Poems — Volume 3 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Poems — Volume 3 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 3

Words and structures a reader meets early in Poems — Volume 3, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Transcribed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poems — Volume 3; 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 3; 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 3; 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 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.