Possessed

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Possessed is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Cleveland Moffett • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

I have always found comfort in my diary.

I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

Narrator

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.

Chapter II Reading 1/84

Possessed Cleveland Moffett

Chapter II

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Possessed is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

WHAT PENELOPE COULD NOT TELL THE DOCTOR (_Fragments from Her Diary_) _Atlantic City, Tuesday._ I cannot tell what is on my mind, I cannot tell _anyone_, even a doctor; but I will keep my promise and look into my past life. I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences. I have always found comfort in my diary. I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record. I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

Possessed

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Possessed is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

/aɪ wɪl ˈoʊ.pən ðoʊz ˈpreʃəs ˈtrædʒɪk ˌɪndɪˈskriːt ˈlɪtəl ˈvɑːljuːmz baʊnd ɪn red ˈleðər ɪn wɪtʃ aɪ hæv fɔːr jɪrz pʊt daʊn maɪ θɔːts ənd ˈɪntəmət ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz/

Line 3

I have always found comfort in my diary.

/aɪ hæv ˈɔːlweɪz faʊnd ˈkʌmfərt ɪn maɪ ˈdaɪəri/

Line 4

I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

Line 5

I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

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.

cravings noun US /ˈkreɪvɪŋz/

plural of “craving” — an intense desire for some particular thing

From this reading “I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.”

diary noun US /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

From this reading “I have always found comfort in my diary.”

hallucinations noun US /həˌluːsəˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “hallucination” — illusory perception; a common symptom of severe mental disorder

From this reading “I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.”

indiscreet adjective US /ˌɪndɪˈskriːt/

lacking discretion; injudicious

From this reading “I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.”

morbid adjective US /ˈmɔːrbəd/

suggesting an unhealthy mental state

From this reading “I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.”

penelope noun US /pəˈneləpi/

(Greek mythology) the wife of Odysseus and a symbol of devotion and fidelity; for 10 years while Odysseus fought the Trojan War she resisted numerous suitors until Odysseus returned and killed them

From this reading “WHAT PENELOPE COULD NOT TELL THE DOCTOR (_Fragments from Her Diary_) _Atlantic City, Tuesday._ I cannot tell what is on my mind, I cannot tell _anyone_, even a doctor; but I will keep my promise and look into my past life.”

temptations noun US /temˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “temptation” — something that seduces or has the quality to seduce

From this reading “I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.”

unhappiness noun US /ənˈhæpinɪs/

emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being

From this reading “I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.”

All words in this reading · 79

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 WHAT PENELOPE COULD NOT TELL THE DOCTOR (_Fragments from Her Diary_) _Atlantic City, Tuesday._ I cannot tell what is on my mind, I cannot tell _anyone_, even a doctor; but I will keep my promise and look into my past life.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading I have always found comfort in my diary.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anyonepronounUS /ˈeniwʌn/

any person at all

AtlanticnounUS /ətˈlæntɪk/

the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

cannot

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

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

comfortnounUS /ˈkʌmfərt/

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

From this reading I have always found comfort in my diary.

COULDmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

cravingsnounUS /ˈkreɪvɪŋz/

plural of “craving” — an intense desire for some particular thing

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

DiarynounUS /ˈdaɪəri/

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

DOCTORnounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

experiencesnounUS /ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz/

plural of “experience” — the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading I have always found comfort in my diary.

FragmentsnounUS /ˈfræɡmənts/

plural of “fragment” — a piece broken off or cut off of something else

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

hallucinationsnounUS /həˌluːsəˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “hallucination” — illusory perception; a common symptom of severe mental disorder

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/

impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

indiscreetadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈskriːt/

lacking discretion; injudicious

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

intimateadjectiveUS /ˈɪntəmət/

marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

leathernounUS /ˈleðər/

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

lonelyadjectiveUS /ˈloʊnli/

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

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 I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

morbidadjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrbəd/

suggesting an unhealthy mental state

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

PENELOPEnounUS /pəˈneləpi/

(Greek mythology) the wife of Odysseus and a symbol of devotion and fidelity; for 10 years while Odysseus fought the Trojan War she resisted numerous suitors until Odysseus returned and killed them

preciousadjectiveUS /ˈpreʃəs/

characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

recordnounUS /rəˈkɔːrd/

anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

TELLverbUS /tel/

express in words

temptationsnounUS /temˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “temptation” — something that seduces or has the quality to seduce

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

tennounUS /ten/

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

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thirty-threeadjective

being three more than thirty

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

tragicadjectiveUS /ˈtrædʒɪk/

very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

TuesdaynounUS /ˈtuːzdi/

the third day of the week; the second working day

unhappinessnounUS /ənˈhæpinɪs/

emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

volumesnounUS /ˈvɑːljuːmz/

plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I am thirty-three years old and for ten years, beginning before I was married, I have kept this record.

WHATpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

widowhoodnoun

the time of a woman's life when she is a widow

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading I wrote of my unhappiness with my husband; I wrote of my lonely widowhood and of my many temptations; I wrote of my illness, my morbid cravings and hallucinations.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading I will open those precious, tragic, indiscreet little volumes bound in red leather in which I have for years put down my thoughts and intimate experiences.

Chapter 2 of Possessed by Cleveland Moffett holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 2 of Possessed contain?

Chapter 2 holds 423 sentences of Possessed, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Possessed by Cleveland Moffett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 2 of Possessed?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Possessed

Common questions about reading Possessed by Cleveland Moffett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Possessed?

Yes. All 4139 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22152 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Possessed is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22152, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Possessed take to read?

About 344 minutes of reading across 828 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Possessed section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 21 chapters of Possessed to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Possessed

Words and structures a reader meets early in Possessed, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Penelope: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Possessed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Moved: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Possessed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nervously: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Possessed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chair: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Possessed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II · Chapter 2

What does chapter 2 of Possessed contain?

How do I study chapter 2 of Possessed?

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Possessed

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Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in Possessed