adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
AmericanounUS /əˈmerəkə/
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
BritishnounUS /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/
the people of Great Britain
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
defineverbUS /dɪˈfaɪn/
determine the essential quality of
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
devotionnounUS /dɪˈvoʊʃən/
feelings of ardent love
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
exhaustingadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪŋ/
having a debilitating effect
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
expressedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsprest/
communicated in words
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
forefathersnounUS /ˈfɔːrfɑːðərz/
plural of “forefather” — the founder of a family
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading It was a life in which pleasure was given the least place and duty the greatest.
greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/
highest in quality
From this reading It was a life in which pleasure was given the least place and duty the greatest.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
inheritancenounUS /ˌɪnˈherətəns/
hereditary succession to a title or an office or property
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
labornounUS /ˈleɪbər/
a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading It was a life in which pleasure was given the least place and duty the greatest.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Puritan life was severe.
literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
literaturenounUS /ˈlɪtərətʃər/
creative writing of recognized artistic value
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
lonelinessnounUS /ˈloʊnlinəs/
the state of being alone in solitary isolation
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
LongfellownounUS /ˈlɔːŋfeloʊ/
United States poet remembered for his long narrative poems (1807-1882)
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
LowellnounUS /ˈloʊəl/
United States poet (1917-1977)
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
manualnounUS /ˈmænjuːəl/
a small handbook
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
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 True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
MiltonnounUS /ˈmɪltən/
English poet; remembered primarily as the author of an epic poem describing humanity's fall from grace (1608-1674)
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
nationaladjectiveUS /ˈnæʃənəl/
of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
placenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It was a life in which pleasure was given the least place and duty the greatest.
pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading It was a life in which pleasure was given the least place and duty the greatest.
PoenounUS /poʊ/
United States writer and poet (1809-1849)
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
poetrynounUS /ˈpoʊətri/
literature in metrical form
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
poetsnounUS /ˈpoʊəts/
plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
PuritannounUS /ˈpjʊrətən/
a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship
From this reading Puritan life was severe.
ReferencenounUS /ˈrefərəns/
a remark that calls attention to something or someone
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
sayverbUS /seɪ/
express in words
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
sensenounUS /sens/
a general conscious awareness
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
severeadjectiveUS /səˈvɪr/
intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
From this reading Puritan life was severe.
ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
SpecialadjectiveUS /ˈspeʃəl/
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
strictadjectiveUS /strɪkt/
rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
TrueadjectiveUS /truː/
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading True, America has produced no Shakespeare and no Milton, but we have an inheritance in all English literature; and many poets in America have followed in the footsteps of their literary British forefathers.
typenounUS /taɪp/
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
warfarenounUS /ˈwɔːrfer/
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading It was warfare, and manual labor of a most exhausting type, and loneliness, and devotion to a strict sense of duty.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Puritan life was severe.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was a life in which pleasure was given the least place and duty the greatest.
WhittiernounUS /ˈwɪtiər/
United States poet best known for his nostalgic poems about New England (1807-1892)
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading With Special Reference to Poe, Longfellow, Lowell and Whittier If we define poetry as the heart of man expressed in beautiful language, we shall not say that we have no national poetry.
