Chapter 15 of Selections from the Poems and Plays is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of Selections from the Poems and Plays is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
8. _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man. To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance. He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle. 9.
Chapter 15 of Selections from the Poems and Plays is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
past form of “ascribe” — attribute or credit to
From this reading “To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.”
the act of causing something to happen
From this reading “To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.”
any of numerous agile ruminants related to sheep but having a beard and straight horns
From this reading “_Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.”
a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
From this reading “He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.”
any long and arduous undertaking
From this reading “He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.”
make a sweeping movement
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading “He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.”
plural of “persian” — a native or inhabitant of Iran
From this reading “He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 8.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 9.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
past form of “ascribe” — attribute or credit to
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
the act of causing something to happen
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
any of numerous agile ruminants related to sheep but having a beard and straight horns
From this reading _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
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 _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
any long and arduous undertaking
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
make a sweeping movement
From this reading _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
plural of “persian” — a native or inhabitant of Iran
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Pan._ The god of nature, half goat and half man.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading He came suddenly into the midst of the Persians on the field of Marathon--so the legend runs--and threw them into such a "panic" that, for this reason, they lost the battle.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To him was ascribed the power of causing sudden fright by his voice and appearance.
Chapter 15 of Selections from the Poems and Plays by Robert Browning holds 356 sentences, grouped into 72 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.
Chapter 15 holds 356 sentences of Selections from the Poems and Plays, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of Selections from the Poems and Plays by Robert Browning exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 356 sentences, grouped into 72 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.
Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 72 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.
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About 437 minutes of reading across 1051 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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