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Sesame and Lilies
Sesame and Lilies

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Sesame and Lilies is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sesame and Lilies
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?
Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, The Larkspur listensI hear, I hear!
And the Lily whispersI wait.”
Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?
Hear them now:— Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, Maud, I am here at the gate, alone.”
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sesame and Lilies

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Sesame and Lilies is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?
Line 2
Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listensI hear, I hear!
Line 3
And the Lily whispersI wait.”
Line 4
Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?
/dɪd juː ˈnoʊtəs ðæt aɪ mɪst tuː laɪnz wen aɪ red juː ðæt fɜːrst ˈstænzə ənd θɪŋk ðæt aɪ hæd fərˈɡɑːt.n̩ ðem/
Line 5
Hear them now:— “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, Maud, I am here at the gate, alone.”

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.

bat noun US /bæt/

nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate

From this reading ““Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?”

Larkspur noun US /ˈlɑːrkspɜːr/

any of numerous cultivated plants of the genus Delphinium

From this reading “Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!”

listens verb US /ˈlɪsənz/

third-person singular of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading “Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!”

musk noun US /mʌsk/

an odorous glandular secretion from the male musk deer; used as a perfume fixative

From this reading ““Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?”

spices noun US /ˈspaɪsəz/

plural of “spice” — aromatic substances of vegetable origin used as a preservative

From this reading ““Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?”

spire noun US /spaɪr/

a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top

From this reading “Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!”

stanza noun US /ˈstænzə/

a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

From this reading “Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?”

wafted verb US /ˈwɑːftɪd/

past form of “waft” — be driven or carried along, as by the air

From this reading ““Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?”

All words in this reading · 89

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.

abroadadverbUS /əˈbrɔːd/

to or in a foreign country

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Hear them now:— “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, Maud, I am here at the gate, alone.”

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Hear them now:— “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, Maud, I am here at the gate, alone.”

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Hear them now:— “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, Maud, I am here at the gate, alone.”

batnounUS /bæt/

nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

blownadjectiveUS /bloʊn/

being moved or acted upon by moving air or vapor

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

budnounUS /bʌd/

a partially opened flower

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

colouradjectiveUS /ˈkʌlər/

having or capable of producing colors

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

couragenounUS /ˈkɜːrədʒ/

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

dustverbUS /dʌst/

remove the dust from

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

flowernounUS /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

flownverbUS /floʊn/

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading Hear them now:— “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, Maud, I am here at the gate, alone.”

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

goodlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡʊdli/

large in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

heavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Hear them now:— “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, Maud, I am here at the gate, alone.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

LarkspurnounUS /ˈlɑːrkspɜːr/

any of numerous cultivated plants of the genus Delphinium

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

LilynounUS /ˈlɪli/

any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers

From this reading And the Lily whispers—I wait.”

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

listensverbUS /ˈlɪsənz/

third-person singular of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

Maud

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

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

missedadjectiveUS /mɪst/

not caught with the senses or the mind

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

musknounUS /mʌsk/

an odorous glandular secretion from the male musk deer; used as a perfume fixative

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Hear them now:— “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, Come into the garden, Maud, I am here at the gate, alone.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

openingnounUS /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/

an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

puritynounUS /ˈpjʊrəti/

being undiluted or unmixed with extraneous material

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

rosesnounUS /ˈroʊzɪz/

plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

spicesnounUS /ˈspaɪsəz/

plural of “spice” — aromatic substances of vegetable origin used as a preservative

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

spirenounUS /spaɪr/

a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

sprungverbUS /sprʌŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

stanzanounUS /ˈstænzə/

a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

startingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtɪŋ/

(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

waftedverbUS /ˈwɑːftɪd/

past form of “waft” — be driven or carried along, as by the air

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading And the Lily whispers—I wait.”

washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/

clean by virtue of having been washed in water

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Did you notice that I missed two lines when I read you that first stanza; and think that I had forgotten them?

whispersnounUS /ˈwɪspərz/

plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading And the Lily whispers—I wait.”

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

woodbinenoun

common North American vine with compound leaves and bluish-black berrylike fruit

From this reading “Come into the garden, Maud, For the black bat, night, has flown, And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown”?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Will you not go down among them?—among those sweet living things, whose new courage, sprung from the earth with the deep colour of heaven upon it, is starting up in strength of goodly spire; and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening, bud by bud, into the flower of promise;—and still they turn to you, and for you, “The Larkspur listens—I hear, I hear!

Chapter 9 of Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin holds 124 sentences, grouped into 25 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Sesame and Lilies contain?

Chapter 9 holds 124 sentences of Sesame and Lilies, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 124 sentences, grouped into 25 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 Sesame and Lilies?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 Sesame and Lilies

Common questions about reading Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sesame and Lilies?

Yes. All 1408 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1293 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sesame and Lilies is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1293, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sesame and Lilies take to read?

About 117 minutes of reading across 282 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sesame and Lilies section by section

How to work through Sesame and Lilies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of Sesame and Lilies 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 Sesame and Lilies

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sesame and Lilies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Lecture
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sesame and Lilies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sesame
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sesame and Lilies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lilies
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sesame and Lilies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sesame and Lilies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.