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Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde
Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
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And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.
And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.
Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God.
Wherefore art thou weeping?'
And he kissed him.--_Poems in Prose_.
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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 IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.
/ənd æz hiː leɪ ðer ˈwiːpɪŋ hiː wɑːz wer ʌv wʌn huː wɑːz ˈstændɪŋ bɪˈsaɪd hɪm ənd hiː huː wɑːz ˈstændɪŋ bɪˈsaɪd hɪm hæd fiːt ʌv bræs ənd her laɪk faɪn wʊl/
Line 2
And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.
Line 3
Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God.
/naʊ ðaʊ ʃælt hæv ðə pərˈfekt lʌv ʌv ɡɑːd/
Line 4
Wherefore art thou weeping?'
/werˈfɔːr ɑːrt ðaʊ ˈwiːpɪŋ/
Line 5
And he kissed him.--_Poems in Prose_.

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.

brass noun US /bræs/

an alloy of copper and zinc

From this reading “And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.”

Hermit noun US /ˈhɜːrmət/

one retired from society for religious reasons

From this reading “And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.”

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

shalt modal verb US /ʃælt/

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

From this reading “Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God.”

ware noun US /wer/

articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: “silverware”, “software”

From this reading “And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.”

Wherefore adverb US /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading “Wherefore art thou weeping?'”

wool noun US /wʊl/

a fabric made from the hair of sheep

From this reading “And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

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

From this reading Wherefore art thou weeping?'

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

brassnounUS /bræs/

an alloy of copper and zinc

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

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

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

hadst

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

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

HermitnounUS /ˈhɜːrmət/

one retired from society for religious reasons

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And he kissed him.--_Poems in Prose_.

kissedverbUS /kɪst/

past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.

From this reading And he kissed him.--_Poems in Prose_.

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

PoemsnounUS /ˈpoʊəmz/

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

From this reading And he kissed him.--_Poems in Prose_.

ProsenounUS /proʊz/

ordinary writing as distinguished from verse

From this reading And he kissed him.--_Poems in Prose_.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

shaltmodal verbUS /ʃælt/

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

From this reading Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

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

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God.

warenounUS /wer/

articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: “silverware”, “software”

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

weepingadjectiveUS /ˈwiːpɪŋ/

showing sorrow

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

WhereforeadverbUS /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading Wherefore art thou weeping?'

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

woolnounUS /wʊl/

a fabric made from the hair of sheep

From this reading And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of brass and hair like fine wool.

Chapter 9 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde holds 161 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 9 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde contain?

Chapter 9 holds 161 sentences of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Selected Prose of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 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 9 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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

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  2. Read one section

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  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.