Chapter 8 of Sword Blades and Poppy Seed is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Sword Blades and Poppy Seed is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure. How could nuts appear from the atmosphere?" The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice. II Five o'clock. The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.
Chapter 8 of Sword Blades and Poppy Seed is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
an orderly arrangement
From this reading “The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.”
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading “"It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.”
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading “The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.”
plural of “geranium” — any of numerous plants of the family Geraniaceae
From this reading “The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.”
plural of “glitter” — the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
From this reading “The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.”
the light of the Moon
From this reading “The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.”
informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
From this reading “How could nuts appear from the atmosphere?"”
a purple color or pigment
From this reading “The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading How could nuts appear from the atmosphere?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.
an orderly arrangement
From this reading The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading How could nuts appear from the atmosphere?"
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading How could nuts appear from the atmosphere?"
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading II Five o'clock.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading How could nuts appear from the atmosphere?"
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.
plural of “geranium” — any of numerous plants of the family Geraniaceae
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
plural of “glitter” — the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How could nuts appear from the atmosphere?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading II Five o'clock.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
the light of the Moon
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
From this reading How could nuts appear from the atmosphere?"
according to the clock
From this reading II Five o'clock.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
of something having a color that is a light shiny blue
From this reading The silver-blue moonlight makes the geraniums purple, and the roof glitters like ice.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The geraniums are very gay in their crimson array.
plural of “think” — an instance of deliberate thinking
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
precisely as stated
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is very queer," thinks Peter, "the basket was empty, I'm sure.
Chapter 8 of Sword Blades and Poppy Seed by Amy Lowell holds 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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.
Chapter 8 holds 176 sentences of Sword Blades and Poppy Seed, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Sword Blades and Poppy Seed by Amy Lowell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 176 sentences, grouped into 36 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.
Common questions about reading Sword Blades and Poppy Seed by Amy Lowell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1947 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1020 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1020, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 162 minutes of reading across 390 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sword Blades and Poppy Seed section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Sword Blades and Poppy Seed to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Sword Blades and Poppy Seed, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
