Chapter 21 of Tarr is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of Tarr is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination. “Mistvich!” Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!” Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do. So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
Chapter 21 of Tarr is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
rid of obstructions
From this reading “So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.”
the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)
From this reading “He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.”
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading “He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.”
at or to or toward the front
From this reading “He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.”
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.”
-ing form of “retreat” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading “Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!””
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.”
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading “He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.”
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 this reading “Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!””
In this reading “Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.”
get involved in or with
In this reading “Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.”
In this reading “He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
rid of obstructions
From this reading So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Mistvich!”
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
-ing form of “retreat” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
Identical; not different.
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So far he had been evidently quite clear as to his purpose.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Bertha said, at the same time retreating into the passage-way.—“Go!”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took a step forward, her room evidently his destination.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Got into the room, he did not seem to know what next to do.
Chapter 21 of Tarr by Wyndham Lewis holds 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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.
Chapter 21 holds 89 sentences of Tarr, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of Tarr by Wyndham Lewis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 21 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 Tarr by Wyndham Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8072 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58340 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58340, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1615 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tarr section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Tarr 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 Tarr, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
