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The Blue Flower
The Blue Flower

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Blue Flower is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Blue Flower
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.
--SHELLEY.
Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.
Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.
Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.
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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.

The Blue Flower

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Blue Flower is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.
/ðə dɪˈzaɪər ʌv ðə mɔːθ fɔːr ðə stɑːr ʌv ðə naɪt fɔːr ðə ˈmɑːroʊ ðə dɪˈvoʊʃən fɔːr ˈsʌmθɪŋ əˈfɑːr frʌm ðə sfɪr ʌv ˈaʊər ˈsɑːroʊ/
Line 2
--SHELLEY.
/ˈʃeli/
Line 3
Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.
/səmˈtaɪmz ʃɔːrt ˈstɔːriz ɑːr brɔːt təˈɡeðər laɪk ˈpɑːrsəlz ɪn ə ˈbæskət/
Line 4
Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.
/səmˈtaɪmz ðeɪ ɡroʊ təˈɡeðər laɪk ˈblɑːsəmz ɑːn ə bʊʃ/
Line 5
Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.
/ðen ʌv kɔːrs ðeɪ ˈrɪli bɪˈlɔːŋ tuː wʌn əˈnʌðər bɪˈkɔːz ðeɪ hæv ðə seɪm laɪf ɪn ðem/

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.

afar adverb US /əˈfɑːr/

(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far

From this reading “The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.”

blossoms noun US /ˈblɑːsəmz/

plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts

From this reading “Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.”

bush noun US /bʊʃ/

a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading “Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.”

morrow noun US /ˈmɑːroʊ/

the next day

From this reading “The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.”

moth noun US /mɔːθ/

typically crepuscular or nocturnal insect having a stout body and feathery or hairlike antennae

From this reading “The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.”

parcels noun US /ˈpɑːrsəlz/

plural of “parcel” — a wrapped container

From this reading “Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.”

shelley noun US /ˈʃeli/

English writer who created Frankenstein's monster and married Percy Bysshe Shelley (1797-1851)

From this reading “--SHELLEY.”

sphere noun US /sfɪr/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading “The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.”

All words in this reading · 44

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

afaradverbUS /əˈfɑːr/

(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

basketnounUS /ˈbæskət/

a container that is usually woven and has handles

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

belongverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋ/

be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

blossomsnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmz/

plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts

From this reading Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

bushnounUS /bʊʃ/

a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

devotionnounUS /dɪˈvoʊʃən/

feelings of ardent love

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

morrownounUS /ˈmɑːroʊ/

the next day

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

mothnounUS /mɔːθ/

typically crepuscular or nocturnal insect having a stout body and feathery or hairlike antennae

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

parcelsnounUS /ˈpɑːrsəlz/

plural of “parcel” — a wrapped container

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

SHELLEYnounUS /ˈʃeli/

English writer who created Frankenstein's monster and married Percy Bysshe Shelley (1797-1851)

From this reading --SHELLEY.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

SometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

spherenounUS /sfɪr/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion for something afar From the sphere of our sorrow.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket.

Chapter 1 of The Blue Flower by Henry Van Dyke holds 178 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.

What does chapter 1 of The Blue Flower contain?

Chapter 1 holds 178 sentences of The Blue Flower, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Blue Flower by Henry Van Dyke exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 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.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Blue Flower?

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.

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 The Blue Flower

Common questions about reading The Blue Flower by Henry Van Dyke on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Blue Flower?

Yes. All 2955 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1603 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Blue Flower is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1603, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Blue Flower take to read?

About 246 minutes of reading across 591 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Blue Flower section by section

How to work through The Blue Flower section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Blue Flower to begin.

  2. Read one section

    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 The Blue Flower

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Blue Flower, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Desire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blue Flower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blue Flower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morrow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blue Flower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Devotion
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Blue Flower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.