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Seeing Things at Night
Seeing Things at Night

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Seeing Things at Night is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Seeing Things at Night
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The first difficulty was the title.
It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.
That was not the author's intention.
He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.
There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.
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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.

Seeing Things at Night

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Seeing Things at Night is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
The first difficulty was the title.
/ðə fɜːrst ˈdɪfəkəlti wɑːz ðə ˈtaɪtəl/
Line 2
It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.
Line 3
That was not the author's intention.
/ðæt wɑːz nɑːt ðə ˈɔːθərz ˌɪnˈtentʃən/
Line 4
He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.
/hiː ment tuː səˈdʒest ˈræðər ˈnuːzpeɪpər ˈɑːrtəkəlz ʌv ˈeni sɔːrt dʌn mɔːr ɔːr les ɑːn ðə spɜːr ʌv ðə ˈmoʊmənt fɔːr nekst deɪz kənˈsʌmpʃən/
Line 5
There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.
/ðer wɑːz ˈɔːlsoʊ sʌm ˈkwestʃən æz tuː ðə ˈɔːrdər ɪn wɪtʃ ðə ˈveriəs ˈpiːsəz ʃʊd biː ərˈeɪndʒd/

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.

author's noun US /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “That was not the author's intention.”

consumption noun US /kənˈsʌmpʃən/

the process of taking food into the body through the mouth (as by eating)

From this reading “He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.”

day's noun US /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading “He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.”

essays noun US /eˈseɪz/

plural of “essay” — an analytic or interpretive literary composition

From this reading “It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.”

exclusion noun US /ɪkˈskluːʒən/

the state of being excluded

From this reading “It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.”

spur noun US /spɜːr/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading “He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.”

suggest verb US /səˈdʒest/

make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading “It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.”

theatrical adjective US /θiˈætrɪkəl/

of or relating to the theater

From this reading “It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.”

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.

next day's adjective + noun counted as “next day”

In this reading “He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.”

newspaper articles noun + noun counted as “newspaper article”

an article reporting news

In this reading “He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.”

any sort adjective + noun

In this reading “He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.”

at Night preposition + noun

In this reading “It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.”

on the spur preposition + article + noun counted as “on … spur”

In this reading “He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.”

Seeing Things noun + noun

In this reading “It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

articlesnounUS /ˈɑːrtəkəlz/

plural of “article” — nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

author'snounUS /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading That was not the author's intention.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

consumptionnounUS /kənˈsʌmpʃən/

the process of taking food into the body through the mouth (as by eating)

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

day'snounUS /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading The first difficulty was the title.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

else

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

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

essaysnounUS /eˈseɪz/

plural of “essay” — an analytic or interpretive literary composition

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

exclusionnounUS /ɪkˈskluːʒən/

the state of being excluded

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The first difficulty was the title.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

intentionnounUS /ˌɪnˈtentʃən/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading That was not the author's intention.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

newspapernounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpər/

a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

NightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading That was not the author's intention.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

piecesnounUS /ˈpiːsəz/

plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

SeeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

spurnounUS /spɜːr/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading He meant to suggest rather newspaper articles of any sort done more or less on the spur of the moment for next day's consumption.

suggestverbUS /səˈdʒest/

make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The first difficulty was the title.

theatricaladjectiveUS /θiˈætrɪkəl/

of or relating to the theater

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

ThingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

titlenounUS /ˈtaɪtəl/

a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with

From this reading The first difficulty was the title.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was felt that _Seeing Things at Night_ might suggest theatrical essays to the exclusion of anything else.

variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The first difficulty was the title.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading There was also some question as to the order in which the various "pieces" should be arranged.

Chapter 1 of Seeing Things at Night by Heywood Broun holds 411 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 1 of Seeing Things at Night contain?

Chapter 1 holds 411 sentences of Seeing Things at Night, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Seeing Things at Night by Heywood Broun exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 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 1 of Seeing Things at Night?

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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Seeing Things at Night

Common questions about reading Seeing Things at Night by Heywood Broun on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Seeing Things at Night?

Yes. All 3614 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35793 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Seeing Things at Night is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35793, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Seeing Things at Night take to read?

About 301 minutes of reading across 723 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Seeing Things at Night section by section

How to work through Seeing Things at Night section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of Seeing Things at Night 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 Seeing Things at Night

Words and structures a reader meets early in Seeing Things at Night, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seeing Things at Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Difficulty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seeing Things at Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Title
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seeing Things at Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seeing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seeing Things at Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.