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Select Poems of Thomas Gray
Select Poems of Thomas Gray

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Select Poems of Thomas Gray is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Select Poems of Thomas Gray
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY.
EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
_WITH ENGRAVINGS_.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
PREFACE.
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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.

Select Poems of Thomas Gray

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Select Poems of Thomas Gray is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY.
/səˈlekt ˈpoʊəmz ʌv ˈtɑːməs ɡreɪ/
Line 2
EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
Line 3
_WITH ENGRAVINGS_.
/wɪð ɪnˈɡreɪvɪŋz/
Line 4
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
Line 5
PREFACE.
/ˈprefəs/

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.

cambridge noun US /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/

a university in England

From this reading “EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.”

Congress noun US /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.”

edited adjective US /ˈedətəd/

improved or corrected by critical editing

From this reading “EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.”

engravings noun US /ɪnˈɡreɪvɪŋz/

plural of “engraving” — a print made from an engraving

harper noun US /ˈhɑːrpər/

someone who plays the harp

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.”

Librarian noun US /laɪˈbreriːən/

a professional person trained in library science and engaged in library services

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.”

preface noun US /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading “PREFACE.”

select adjective US /səˈlekt/

of superior grade

From this reading “SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY.”

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.

HIGH SCHOOL adjective + noun

a public secondary school usually including grades 9 through 12

In this reading “EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.”

Act of verb + particle

In this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.”

All words in this reading · 38

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.

1876

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

ActverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

BROTHERSnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

CAMBRIDGEnounUS /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/

a university in England

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

CongressnounUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

EDITEDadjectiveUS /ˈedətəd/

improved or corrected by critical editing

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

ENGRAVINGSnounUS /ɪnˈɡreɪvɪŋz/

plural of “engraving” — a print made from an engraving

From this reading _WITH ENGRAVINGS_.

EnteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

FORMERLYadverbUS /ˈfɔːrmərli/

at a previous time

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

GRAYnounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY.

HARPERnounUS /ˈhɑːrpər/

someone who plays the harp

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

HEADnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

HIGHadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

LibrariannounUS /laɪˈbreriːən/

a professional person trained in library science and engaged in library services

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

MASSnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

MASTERnounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

NOTESnounUS /noʊts/

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY.

OfficenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

POEMSnounUS /ˈpoʊəmz/

plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY.

PREFACEnounUS /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading PREFACE.

ROLFE

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

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

SCHOOLnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

SELECTadjectiveUS /səˈlekt/

of superior grade

From this reading SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

THOMASnounUS /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading SELECT POEMS OF THOMAS GRAY.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

WashingtonnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən/

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

WILLIAM

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

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

Chapter 1 of Select Poems of Thomas Gray by Thomas Gray holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 Select Poems of Thomas Gray contain?

Chapter 1 holds 404 sentences of Select Poems of Thomas Gray, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Select Poems of Thomas Gray by Thomas Gray exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 Select Poems of Thomas Gray?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 Select Poems of Thomas Gray

Common questions about reading Select Poems of Thomas Gray by Thomas Gray on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Select Poems of Thomas Gray?

Yes. All 2741 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30357 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Select Poems of Thomas Gray is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30357, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Select Poems of Thomas Gray take to read?

About 228 minutes of reading across 549 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Select Poems of Thomas Gray section by section

How to work through Select Poems of Thomas Gray section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Select Poems of Thomas Gray

Words and structures a reader meets early in Select Poems of Thomas Gray, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Select
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Select Poems of Thomas Gray; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Poems
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Select Poems of Thomas Gray; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thomas
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Select Poems of Thomas Gray; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Select Poems of Thomas Gray; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.