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Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics
Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.
Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.
Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?
Laugh then and slay.
Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.
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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.

Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.
/oʊ ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəl streŋkθ aɪ noʊ ɪt wel ɪt ɪz bʌt frɔːθ ʌv ˈfɑːli tuː ˈrebəl fɔːr ðaʊ ɑːrt lɔːrd ənd hæst ðə kiːz ʌv hel/
Line 2
Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.
/jet aɪ wɪl nɑːt baʊ daʊn tuː ðiː nɔːr lʌv ðiː fɔːr ˈlʊkɪŋ ɪn maɪ oʊn hɑːrt aɪ kæn pruːv ðiː ənd noʊ ðɪs freɪl bruːzd ˈbiːɪŋ ɪz əˈbʌv ðiː/
Line 3
Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?
/ˈaʊər lʌv ˈaʊər hoʊp ˈaʊər ˈθɜːrstɪŋ fɔːr ðə raɪt ˈaʊər ˈmɜːrsi ənd lɔːŋ ˈsiːkɪŋ ʌv ðə laɪt ʃæl wiː tʃeɪndʒ ðiːz fɔːr ðaɪ rɪˈlentlɪs maɪt/
Line 4
Laugh then and slay.
/læf ðen ənd sleɪ/
Line 5
Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.
/ˈʃætər ɔːl θɪŋz ʌv wɜːrθ hiːp ˈtɔːrment stɪl ɑːn ˈtɔːrment fɔːr ðaɪ mɜːrθ ðaʊ ɑːrt nɑːt lɔːrd waɪl ðer ɑːr men ɑːn ɜːrθ/

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.

bruised verb US /bruːzd/

past form of “bruise” — injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of

From this reading “Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.”

frail adjective US /freɪl/

physically weak

From this reading “Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.”

froth noun US /frɔːθ/

a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid

From this reading “O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.”

rebel noun US /ˈrebəl/

“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms

From this reading “O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.”

relentless adjective US /rɪˈlentlɪs/

not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty

From this reading “Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?”

Shatter verb US /ˈʃætər/

break into many pieces

From this reading “Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.”

thirsting verb US /ˈθɜːrstɪŋ/

-ing form of “thirst” — feel the need to drink

From this reading “Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?”

torment noun US /ˈtɔːrment/

unbearable physical pain

From this reading “Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.”

All words in this reading · 75

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.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

bownounUS /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

bruisedverbUS /bruːzd/

past form of “bruise” — injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

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

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

follynounUS /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

frailadjectiveUS /freɪl/

physically weak

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

frothnounUS /frɔːθ/

a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

HeapnounUS /hiːp/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

HellnounUS /hel/

any place of pain and turmoil

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

keysnounUS /kiːz/

plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

LaughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading Laugh then and slay.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

MennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

mercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

mirthnounUS /mɜːrθ/

great merriment

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

proveverbUS /pruːv/

be shown or be found to be

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

rebelnounUS /ˈrebəl/

“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

relentlessadjectiveUS /rɪˈlentlɪs/

not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

seekingnounUS /ˈsiːkɪŋ/

the act of searching for something

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

Shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

ShatterverbUS /ˈʃætər/

break into many pieces

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

slayverbUS /sleɪ/

kill intentionally and with premeditation

From this reading Laugh then and slay.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Laugh then and slay.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

thirstingverbUS /ˈθɜːrstɪŋ/

-ing form of “thirst” — feel the need to drink

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

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

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

tormentnounUS /ˈtɔːrment/

unbearable physical pain

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

universaladjectiveUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəl/

of worldwide scope or applicability

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right, Our mercy and long seeking of the light, Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading O universal strength, I know it well, It is but froth of folly to rebel; For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading Shatter all things of worth, Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-- Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee, For looking in my own heart I can prove thee, And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

Chapter 2 of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics by C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 2 of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics contain?

Chapter 2 holds 115 sentences of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics by C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 2 of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics

Common questions about reading Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics by C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics?

Yes. All 342 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2003 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2003, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics take to read?

About 28 minutes of reading across 69 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics section by section

How to work through Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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    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 Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics

Words and structures a reader meets early in Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Clive
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hamilton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lewis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prison
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.