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Reviews

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Reviews is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!
Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:
Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!
Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.
And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.
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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.

Reviews

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Reviews is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!
Line 2
Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:
Line 3
Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!
Line 4
Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.
Line 5
And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

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.

coaster noun US /ˈkoʊstər/

a resident of a coastal area

From this reading “Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!”

leas noun US /liːz/

plural of “lea” — a unit of length of thread or yarn

From this reading “Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.”

midland noun US /ˈmɪdlænd/

a town in west central Texas

From this reading “Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!”

Perseus noun US /ˈpɜːrsiəs/

(Greek mythology) the son of Zeus who slew Medusa (with the help of Athena and Hermes) and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster

From this reading “Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.”

runes noun US /ruːnz/

plural of “rune” — any character from an ancient Germanic alphabet used in Scandinavia from the 3rd century to the Middle Ages

From this reading “And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.”

sonnets noun US /ˈsɑːnɪts/

plural of “sonnet” — a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme

From this reading “Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:”

Southland noun US /ˈsaʊθlænd/

any region lying in or toward the south

From this reading “Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!”

unsaid adjective US /ənˈsed/

not made explicit

From this reading “And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.”

All words in this reading · 99

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.

ainadjective

belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself); preceded by a possessive

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

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 And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

asphodels

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

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

atenounUS /eɪt/

goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

beholdverbUS /bɪˈhoʊld/

see with attention

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

carvenadjective

made for or formed by carving (“carven” is archaic or literary)

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

Chemmian

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

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

coasternounUS /ˈkoʊstər/

a resident of a coastal area

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

columnnounUS /ˈkɑːləm/

a line of units following one after another

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

deckedverbUS /dekt/

past form of “deck” — be beautiful to look at

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

didstauxiliary verbUS /dɪdst/

an old form of “did”, used with “thou”

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

dreadnounUS /dred/

fearful expectation or anticipation

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

emeraldnounUS /ˈemrəld/

a green transparent form of beryl; highly valued as a gemstone

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

Far-travelled

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

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

farenounUS /fer/

an agenda of things to do

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

fishesnounUS /ˈfɪʃəz/

plural of “fish” — any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

fledverbUS /fled/

inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

folknounUS /foʊk/

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

Four-footedadjective

having four feet

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

gallows-treenoun

alternative terms for gallows

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

gemsnounUS /dʒemz/

plural of “gem” — art highly prized for its beauty or perfection

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

goldnounUS /ɡoʊld/

coins made of gold

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

hangit

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

Heraclesnoun

(classical mythology) a hero noted for his strength; performed 12 immense labors to gain immortality

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

Herodotusnoun

the ancient Greek known as the father of history; his accounts of the wars between the Greeks and Persians are the first known examples of historical writing (485-425 BC)

From this reading Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:

hieverb

move hurridly

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

labyrinths

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

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

leasnounUS /liːz/

plural of “lea” — a unit of length of thread or yarn

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

Linus-song

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

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

lordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

lordlyadjectiveUS /ˈlɔːrdliː/

of or befitting a lord

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

Lotus-bread

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

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

marvelsnounUS /ˈmɑːrvəlz/

plural of “marvel” — something that causes feelings of wonder

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

melancholynounUS /ˈmelənkɑːli/

a feeling of thoughtful sadness

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

mess-priest's

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

midlandnounUS /ˈmɪdlænd/

a town in west central Texas

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

mysteriesnounUS /ˈmɪstəriz/

plural of “mystery” — something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

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 Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

Osirian

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

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

PerseusnounUS /ˈpɜːrsiəs/

(Greek mythology) the son of Zeus who slew Medusa (with the help of Athena and Hermes) and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

quotingverbUS /ˈkwoʊtɪŋ/

-ing form of “quote” — repeat a passage from

From this reading Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

rednounUS /red/

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

ritesnounUS /raɪts/

plural of “rite” — an established ceremony prescribed by a religion

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

runesnounUS /ruːnz/

plural of “rune” — any character from an ancient Germanic alphabet used in Scandinavia from the 3rd century to the Middle Ages

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

sangnounUS /sæŋ/

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

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

seasnounUS /siːz/

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

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

secretsnounUS /ˈsiːkrəts/

plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

shrinenounUS /ʃraɪn/

a place of worship hallowed by association with some sacred thing or person

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

snakesnounUS /sneɪks/

plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

sonnetsnounUS /ˈsɑːnɪts/

plural of “sonnet” — a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme

From this reading Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:

SouthlandnounUS /ˈsaʊθlænd/

any region lying in or toward the south

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

tellest

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

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

ThydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

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

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

unsaidadjectiveUS /ənˈsed/

not made explicit

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

untoldadjectiveUS /ənˈtoʊld/

too much to be measured

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

veiledadjectiveUS /veɪld/

having or as if having a veil or concealing cover

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Oh! red, red was the dawn o' day, And tall was the gallows-tree: The Southland lord to his ain has fled And the mess-priest's hangit hie!

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Far-travelled coaster of the midland seas, What marvels did those curious eyes behold!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And now the golden asphodels among Thy footsteps fare, and to the lordly dead Thou tellest all the stories left unsaid Of secret rites and runes forgotten long, Of that dark folk who ate the Lotus-bread And sang the melancholy Linus-song.

WingedadjectiveUS /wɪŋd/

having wings or as if having wings of a specified kind

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading Of the sonnets, this To Herodotus is worth quoting:

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Winged snakes, and carven labyrinths of old; The emerald column raised to Heracles; King Perseus' shrine upon the Chemmian leas; Four-footed fishes, decked with gems and gold: But thou didst leave some secrets yet untold, And veiled the dread Osirian mysteries.

Chapter 17 of Reviews by Oscar Wilde holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 17 of Reviews contain?

Chapter 17 holds 412 sentences of Reviews, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Reviews by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 17 of Reviews?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Reviews

Common questions about reading Reviews by Oscar Wilde on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Reviews?

Yes. All 7101 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14240 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Reviews is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14240, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Reviews take to read?

About 591 minutes of reading across 1421 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Reviews section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Reviews 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 Reviews

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

Apparently
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Reviews; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Endless
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Reviews; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Difficulties
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Reviews; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Against
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Reviews; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.