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Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor
Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.
S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.
TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.
GILLMAN, This Volume IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.
PREFACE.
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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.

Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.
Line 2
S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.
/es tiː ˈkoʊlrɪdʒ ˈspesəmənz ʌv ðə ˈteɪbəl tɔːk ʌv ˈsæmjuːl ˈteɪlər ˈkoʊlrɪdʒ/
Line 3
TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.
Line 4
GILLMAN, This Volume IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.
Line 5
PREFACE.
/ˈprefəs/

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.

autographed adjective US /ˈɔːtəɡræft/

bearing an autograph

From this reading “[The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.”

Coleridge noun US /ˈkoʊlrɪdʒ/

English romantic poet (1772-1834)

From this reading “S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.”

esquire noun US /ˈeskwaɪr/

(Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood

From this reading “TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.”

gratefully adverb US /ˈɡreɪtfəli/

with appreciation; in a grateful manner

From this reading “GILLMAN, This Volume IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.”

inscribed adjective US /ˌɪnˈskraɪbd/

written (by handwriting, printing, engraving, or carving) on or in a surface

From this reading “GILLMAN, This Volume IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.”

preface noun US /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading “PREFACE.”

specimens noun US /ˈspesəmənz/

plural of “specimen” — an example regarded as typical of its class

From this reading “S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.”

taylor noun US /ˈteɪlər/

United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)

From this reading “S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.”

All words in this reading · 40

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

autographedadjectiveUS /ˈɔːtəɡræft/

bearing an autograph

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

ColeridgenounUS /ˈkoʊlrɪdʒ/

English romantic poet (1772-1834)

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

ESQUIREnounUS /ˈeskwaɪr/

(Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood

From this reading TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.

fileverbUS /faɪl/

record in a public office or in a court of law

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

GILLMAN

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

From this reading TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.

GRATEFULLYadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtfəli/

with appreciation; in a grateful manner

From this reading GILLMAN, This Volume IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.

GreeknounUS /ɡriːk/

the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

GROVEnounUS /ɡroʊv/

a small growth of trees without underbrush

From this reading TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.

HIGHGATE

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

From this reading TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.

INSCRIBEDadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈskraɪbd/

written (by handwriting, printing, engraving, or carving) on or in a surface

From this reading GILLMAN, This Volume IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading GILLMAN, This Volume IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.

JAMESnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.

missingadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsɪŋ/

not able to be found

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.

obligedadjectiveUS /əˈblaɪdʒd/

under a moral obligation to do something

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

PREFACEnounUS /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading PREFACE.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

SAMUELnounUS /ˈsæmjuːl/

(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

SPECIMENSnounUS /ˈspesəmənz/

plural of “specimen” — an example regarded as typical of its class

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

suspectverbUS /səˈspekt/

imagine to be the case or true or probable

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

TnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

TABLEnounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

TALKverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

TAYLORnounUS /ˈteɪlər/

United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)

From this reading S. T. Coleridge] SPECIMENS OF THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

throughoutprepositionUS /θruːˈaʊt/

in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TO JAMES GILLMAN, ESQUIRE, OF THE GROVE, HIGHGATE, AND TO MRS.

transliterations

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

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

VolumenounUS /ˈvɑːljuːm/

the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading GILLMAN, This Volume IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading [The Greek transliterations throughout this file are either missing or very suspect.] [autographed: Dear Sir, Your obliged servant.

Chapter 1 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor by Samuel Taylor Coleridge holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 1 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor contain?

Chapter 1 holds 426 sentences of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor by Samuel Taylor Coleridge exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 1 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor

Common questions about reading Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor by Samuel Taylor Coleridge on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor?

Yes. All 4841 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8489 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8489, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor take to read?

About 403 minutes of reading across 969 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor

Words and structures a reader meets early in Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Greek
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Transliterations
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Throughout
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Either
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.