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Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde
Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.
And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.
THE DOER OF GOOD It was night-time and He was alone.
And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.
And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.
/ənd hiː tʊk ðə ˈɪmədʒ hiː hæd ˈfæʃənd ənd set ɪt ɪn ə ɡreɪt ˈfɜːrnəs ənd ɡeɪv ɪt tuː ðə ˈfaɪər/
Line 2
And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.
Line 3
THE DOER OF GOOD It was night-time and He was alone.
Line 4
And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.
Line 5
And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

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.

bronze noun US /brɑːnz/

an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin

From this reading “And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.”

doer noun US /duːr/

a person who acts and gets things done

From this reading “THE DOER OF GOOD It was night-time and He was alone.”

fashioned adjective US /ˈfæʃənd/

planned and made or fashioned artistically

From this reading “And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.”

furnace noun US /ˈfɜːrnəs/

an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.

From this reading “And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.”

lutes noun US /luːts/

plural of “lute” — a substance for packing a joint or coating a porous surface to make it impervious to gas or liquid

From this reading “And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.”

Poems noun US /ˈpoʊəmz/

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

Prose noun US /proʊz/

ordinary writing as distinguished from verse

tread verb US /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading “And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.”

All words in this reading · 57

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

abideth

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

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

afar-off

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

From this reading And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading THE DOER OF GOOD It was night-time and He was alone.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

bronzenounUS /brɑːnz/

an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

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

From this reading And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.

DOERnounUS /duːr/

a person who acts and gets things done

From this reading THE DOER OF GOOD It was night-time and He was alone.

endureth

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

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

EveradverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

fashionedadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənd/

planned and made or fashioned artistically

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

furnacenounUS /ˈfɜːrnəs/

an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

gladnessnoun

experiencing joy and pleasure

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

GOODadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading THE DOER OF GOOD It was night-time and He was alone.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

imagenounUS /ˈɪmədʒ/

an iconic mental representation

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

laughternounUS /ˈlæftər/

the sound of laughing

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

loudadjectiveUS /laʊd/

characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

lutesnounUS /luːts/

plural of “lute” — a substance for packing a joint or coating a porous surface to make it impervious to gas or liquid

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

MomentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

night-time

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

From this reading THE DOER OF GOOD It was night-time and He was alone.

noisenounUS /nɔɪz/

sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

PleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

PoemsnounUS /ˈpoʊəmz/

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

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

ProsenounUS /proʊz/

ordinary writing as distinguished from verse

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

SorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And out of the bronze of the image of _The Sorrow that endureth for Ever_ he fashioned an image of _The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment_.--_Poems in Prose_.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to the fire.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.

treadverbUS /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE DOER OF GOOD It was night-time and He was alone.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading And He saw afar-off the walls of a round city and went towards the city.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading And when He came near He heard within the city the tread of the feet of joy, and the laughter of the mouth of gladness and the loud noise of many lutes.

Chapter 8 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde holds 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 8 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde contain?

Chapter 8 holds 162 sentences of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 8 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde

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

Is this the complete text of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde?

Yes. All 1577 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1338 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1338, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde take to read?

About 131 minutes of reading across 316 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde section by section

How to work through Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde 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 Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde

Words and structures a reader meets early in Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Robert
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Struck
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Contemporary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.