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Select Poems of Thomas Gray
Select Poems of Thomas Gray

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Select Poems of Thomas Gray is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.
In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.
130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.
Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?
To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Select Poems of Thomas Gray

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Select Poems of Thomas Gray is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.
Line 2
In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.
Line 3
130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.
Line 4
Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?
Line 5
To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

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.

adorn verb US /əˈdɔːrn/

make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

From this reading “"The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.”

expire verb US /ɪkˈspaɪr/

lose validity

From this reading “130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.”

Gales noun US /ɡeɪlz/

plural of “gale” — a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale

From this reading “130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.”

impious adjective US /ˌɪmˈpaɪəs/

lacking piety or reverence for a god

From this reading “Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?”

lessen verb US /ˈlesən/

decrease in size, extent, or range

From this reading “130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.”

orb noun US /ɔːrb/

the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye

From this reading “Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?”

repairs noun US /rɪˈperz/

plural of “repair” — the act of putting something in working order again

From this reading “To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.”

warms verb US /wɔːrmz/

third-person singular of “warm” — get warm or warmer

From this reading “To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.”

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.

Fierce War adjective + noun

In this reading “"The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.”

With Horror preposition + noun

In this reading “In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.”

All words in this reading · 76

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.

125

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

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

130

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

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

135

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

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

adornverbUS /əˈdɔːrn/

make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

bearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

bloomingnounUS /ˈbluːmɪŋ/

the organic process of bearing flowers

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

buskin'd

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

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

cherub-choir

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

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

drest

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

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

earnounUS /iːr/

the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

EdennounUS /ˈiːdən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

expireverbUS /ɪkˈspaɪr/

lose validity

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

fairynounUS /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

faithfuladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪθfəl/

steadfast in affection or allegiance

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

FictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/

a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

FierceadjectiveUS /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

floodnounUS /flʌd/

the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

FondadjectiveUS /fɑːnd/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

futuritynoun

the time yet to come

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

GalesnounUS /ɡeɪlz/

plural of “gale” — a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

GriefnounUS /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

HorrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/

intense and profound fear

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

impiousadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpaɪəs/

lacking piety or reverence for a god

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

lessenverbUS /ˈlesən/

decrease in size, extent, or range

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

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 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

LovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

measuresnounUS /ˈmeʒərz/

plural of “measure” — any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

moveverbUS /muːv/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

nationsnounUS /ˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “nation” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

orbnounUS /ɔːrb/

the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

PainnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

PaleadjectiveUS /peɪl/

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

pleasingadjectiveUS /ˈpliːzɪŋ/

giving pleasure and satisfaction

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

quench'd

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

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

Rais'd

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

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

raynounUS /reɪ/

a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

redoubledadjectiveUS /riˈdʌbəld/

become much greater in intensity or size or amount

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

repairsnounUS /rɪˈperz/

plural of “repair” — the act of putting something in working order again

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

sanguineadjectiveUS /ˈsæŋɡwɪn/

confidently optimistic and cheerful

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

severeadjectiveUS /səˈvɪr/

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

think'st

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

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

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

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

throbbingnounUS /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/

an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

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

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

To-morrow

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

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

TruthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

tyrantnounUS /ˈtaɪrənt/

a cruel and oppressive dictator

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

versenounUS /vɜːrs/

literature in metrical form

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading "The verse adorn again 125 Fierce War, and faithful Love, And Truth severe, by fairy Fiction drest.

warblings

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

From this reading 130 A voice, as of the cherub-choir, Gales from blooming Eden bear; And distant warblings lessen on my ear, That lost in long futurity expire.

warmsverbUS /wɔːrmz/

third-person singular of “warm” — get warm or warmer

From this reading To-morrow he repairs the golden flood, And warms the nations with redoubled ray.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In buskin'd measures move Pale Grief, and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.

yonadjectiveUS /jɑːn/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading Fond impious man, think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 135 Rais'd by thy breath, has quench'd the orb of day?

Chapter 2 of Select Poems of Thomas Gray by Thomas Gray holds 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 Select Poems of Thomas Gray contain?

Chapter 2 holds 386 sentences of Select Poems of Thomas Gray, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Select Poems of Thomas Gray by Thomas Gray exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 Select Poems of Thomas Gray?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 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.

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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.