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Six Centuries of English Poetry
Six Centuries of English Poetry

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Six Centuries of English Poetry is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
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"Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.
In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.
What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.
Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.
Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
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Six Centuries of English Poetry

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Six Centuries of English Poetry is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.
/ɡɜːrt wɪð ˈmeni ə ˈbærən boʊld səˈblaɪm ðer ˈstɑːriː frʌnts ðeɪ rɪr ənd ˈɡɔːrdʒəs deɪmz ənd ˈsteɪtsmɪn oʊld ɪn ˈbɪrdəd ˈmædʒəsti əˈpɪr/
Line 2
In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.
Line 3
What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.
Line 4
Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.
Line 5
Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

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.

animate verb US /ˈænəmət/

heighten or intensify

From this reading “Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.”

dames noun US /deɪmz/

plural of “dame” — informal terms for a (young) woman

From this reading “"Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.”

fronts noun US /frʌnts/

plural of “front” — the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading “"Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.”

Girt verb US /ɡɜːrt/

inflected form of “gird” — prepare oneself for a military confrontation

From this reading “"Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.”

proclaims verb US /proʊˈkleɪmz/

third-person singular of “proclaim” — declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles

From this reading “In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.”

soaring adjective US /ˈsɔːrɪŋ/

ascending to a level markedly higher than the usual

From this reading “Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.”

statesmen noun US /ˈsteɪtsmɪn/

plural of “statesman” — a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs

From this reading “"Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.”

vocal adjective US /ˈvoʊkəl/

relating to or designed for or using the singing voice

From this reading “What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

In the midst preposition + article + noun counted as “in … midst”

the middle or central part or point

In this reading “In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.”

Girt with verb + particle counted as “gird with”

In this reading “"Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.”

in the air preposition + article + noun counted as “in … air”

on everybody's mind

In this reading “What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.”

Hear from verb + particle

In this reading “Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.”

All words in this reading · 71

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.

34

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

35

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

36

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

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

animateverbUS /ˈænəmət/

heighten or intensify

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

appearverbUS /əˈpɪr/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

Attempered

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

awe-commanding

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

baronnounUS /ˈbærən/

a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

beardedadjectiveUS /ˈbɪrdəd/

having hair on the cheeks and chin

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

breatheverbUS /briːð/

draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

BrightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

Briton-line

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

callsnounUS /kɔːlz/

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

claynounUS /kleɪ/

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

damesnounUS /deɪmz/

plural of “dame” — informal terms for a (young) woman

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

divineadjectiveUS /dɪˈvaɪn/

emanating from God

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

frontsnounUS /frʌnts/

plural of “front” — the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

GirtverbUS /ɡɜːrt/

inflected form of “gird” — prepare oneself for a military confrontation

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

gorgeousadjectiveUS /ˈɡɔːrdʒəs/

dazzlingly beautiful

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

HearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

heavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

lion-port

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

majestynounUS /ˈmædʒəsti/

impressiveness in scale or proportion

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

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 "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

many-colored

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

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

proclaimsverbUS /proʊˈkleɪmz/

third-person singular of “proclaim” — declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

RapturenounUS /ˈræptʃər/

a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

rearnounUS /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

singsverbUS /sɪŋz/

third-person singular of “sing” — deliver by singing

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

soaringadjectiveUS /ˈsɔːrɪŋ/

ascending to a level markedly higher than the usual

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

starryadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːriː/

abounding with or resembling stars

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

statesmennounUS /ˈsteɪtsmɪn/

plural of “statesman” — a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

strainsnounUS /streɪnz/

plural of “strain” — (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

stringsnounUS /strɪŋz/

the section of an orchestra that plays stringed instruments

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

SublimeadjectiveUS /səˈblaɪm/

inspiring awe

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

symphoniousadjective

harmonious in sound

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

Taliessin

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

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading Hear from the grave, great Taliessin,{36} hear; They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

transportnounUS /trænˈspɔːrt/

something that serves as a means of transportation

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

trembleverbUS /ˈtrembəl/

move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

virgin-grace

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

From this reading In the midst a form divine!{34} Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-line; Her lion-port, her awe-commanding face,{35} Attempered sweet to virgin-grace.

vocaladjectiveUS /ˈvoʊkəl/

relating to or designed for or using the singing voice

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

WavesnounUS /weɪvz/

plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What strings symphonious tremble in the air, What strains of vocal transport round her play.

wingsnounUS /wɪŋz/

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading Bright Rapture calls, and soaring as she sings, Waves in the eye of heaven her many-colored wings.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Girt with many a baron bold Sublime their starry fronts they rear; And gorgeous dames, and statesmen old In bearded majesty, appear.

Chapter 5 of Six Centuries of English Poetry by James Baldwin holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 of Six Centuries of English Poetry contain?

Chapter 5 holds 415 sentences of Six Centuries of English Poetry, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Six Centuries of English Poetry by James Baldwin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 of Six Centuries of English Poetry?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Six Centuries of English Poetry

Common questions about reading Six Centuries of English Poetry by James Baldwin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Six Centuries of English Poetry?

Yes. All 4119 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30235 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Six Centuries of English Poetry is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30235, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 343 minutes of reading across 824 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Six Centuries of English Poetry

Words and structures a reader meets early in Six Centuries of English Poetry, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

James
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Six Centuries of English Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Baldwin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Six Centuries of English Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Six Centuries of English Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lover
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Six Centuries of English Poetry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.