Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2
Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.
I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.
My spirit sang all day O my joy.
Nothing my tongue could say, Only My joy!
My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.
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.

Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.
Line 2
I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.
Line 3
My spirit sang all day O my joy.
/maɪ ˈspɪrət sæŋ ɔːl deɪ oʊ maɪ dʒɔɪ/
Line 4
Nothing my tongue could say, Only My joy!
/ˈnʌθɪŋ maɪ tʌŋ kʊd seɪ ˈoʊnli maɪ dʒɔɪ/
Line 5
My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

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.

adore verb US /əˈdɔːr/

love intensely

From this reading “I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.”

echo verb US /ˈekoʊ/

to say again or imitate

From this reading “My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.”

hasty adjective US /ˈheɪsti/

excessively quick

From this reading “I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.”

Hide verb US /haɪd/

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading “My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.”

honoured verb US /ˈɑːnərd/

past form of “honour” — bestow honor or rewards upon

From this reading “I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.”

praise noun US /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading “I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.”

sang noun US /sæŋ/

North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng

From this reading “My spirit sang all day O my joy.”

waking adjective US /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/

Risen from sleep; conscious.

From this reading “I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

all day adjective + noun

In this reading “My spirit sang all day O my joy.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

adoreverbUS /əˈdɔːr/

love intensely

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

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 I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

Altho

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

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

beauteousadjective

(poetic) beautiful, especially to the sight

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Nothing my tongue could say, Only My joy!

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading My spirit sang all day O my joy.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

echoverbUS /ˈekoʊ/

to say again or imitate

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

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 I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

hastyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪsti/

excessively quick

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

HideverbUS /haɪd/

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

honouredverbUS /ˈɑːnərd/

past form of “honour” — bestow honor or rewards upon

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

LikeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My spirit sang all day O my joy.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing my tongue could say, Only My joy!

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 My spirit sang all day O my joy.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

OnlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Nothing my tongue could say, Only My joy!

praisenounUS /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

RememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

sangnounUS /sæŋ/

North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng

From this reading My spirit sang all day O my joy.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Nothing my tongue could say, Only My joy!

seekverbUS /siːk/

try to get or reach

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

spake

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

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading My spirit sang all day O my joy.

TellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading I love all beauteous things, I seek and adore them; God hath no better praise, And man in his hasty days Is honoured for them.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading My heart an echo caught— O my joy— And spake, Tell me thy thought, Hide not thy joy.

to-morrow

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

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading Nothing my tongue could say, Only My joy!

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

wakingadjectiveUS /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/

Risen from sleep; conscious.

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading I too will something make And joy in the making; Altho’ to-morrow it seem Like the empty words of a dream Remembered on waking.

Chapter 4 of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 by Robert Bridges holds 124 sentences, grouped into 25 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 4 of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 4 holds 124 sentences of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 by Robert Bridges exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 124 sentences, grouped into 25 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 4 of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2

Common questions about reading Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 by Robert Bridges on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2?

Yes. All 955 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55178 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55178, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 take to read?

About 79 minutes of reading across 191 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 section by section

How to work through Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, 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 Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Elegy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clear
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gentle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stream
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.