Chapter II · Chapter 2

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

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

(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 Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

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

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

serving as an essential component

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

the temporal property of two things happening at the same time

From this reading The key to the poem is in the first word, and the first word is the Spanish conjunction _Si_ (if).

a communist state in the Caribbean on the island of Cuba

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The key to the poem is in the first word, and the first word is the Spanish conjunction _Si_ (if).

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

having or deserving or conferring glory

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

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

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

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

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The key to the poem is in the first word, and the first word is the Spanish conjunction _Si_ (if).

of great significance or value

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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 The key to the poem is in the first word, and the first word is the Spanish conjunction _Si_ (if).

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

immediately past

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

feeling or showing love and affection

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

plural of “miss” — a young female

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

a brief written record

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

third-person singular of “overwhelm” — overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

a sudden sharp feeling

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

by chance

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

the quality of being widely admired or accepted or sought after

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

a general conscious awareness

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

a tetravalent nonmetallic element; next to oxygen it is the most abundant element in the earth's crust; occurs in clay and feldspar and granite and quartz and sand; used as a semiconductor in transistors

From this reading The key to the poem is in the first word, and the first word is the Spanish conjunction _Si_ (if).

a male human offspring

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain

From this reading The key to the poem is in the first word, and the first word is the Spanish conjunction _Si_ (if).

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language

From this reading It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

which person or people

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

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

From this reading Plácido's sonnet to his mother has been translated into every important language; William Cullen Bryant did it in English; but in spite of its wide popularity, it is, perhaps, outside of Cuba the least understood of all Plácido's poems.

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading The key to the poem is in the first word, and the first word is the Spanish conjunction _Si_ (if).

produce a literary work

From this reading The American poet makes it a tender and loving farewell of a son who is about to die to a heart-broken mother; but that is not the kind of a farewell that Plácido intended to write or did write.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The central idea, then, of the sonnet is, "If the sad fate which now overwhelms me should bring a pang to your heart, do not weep, for I die a glorious death and sound the last note of my lyre to you."