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The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1
The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 is here in full — 4593 sentences across 919 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1
Context Illustration Reading 1/918 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!
You see that grave?
The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.
Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!
400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 is here in full — 4593 sentences across 919 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/918 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!
Line 2
You see that grave?
/juː siː ðæt ɡreɪv/
Line 3
The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.
Line 4
Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!
Line 5
400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'

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.

clay noun US /kleɪ/

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading “The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.”

dug noun US /dʌɡ/

an udder or breast or teat

From this reading “Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!”

graves noun US /ɡreɪvz/

English writer known for his interest in mythology and in the classics (1895-1985)

From this reading “To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!”

scarce adverb US /skers/

only a very short time before

From this reading “Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!”

Sexton noun US /ˈsekstən/

United States poet (1928-1974)

From this reading “400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'”

touching adjective US /ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/

arousing affect

From this reading “400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'”

tread verb US /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading “To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!”

wicked adjective US /ˈwɪkəd/

morally bad in principle or practice

From this reading “To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

390

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

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

395

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

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

400

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

From this reading 400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

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 Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

Aye

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

From this reading 400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

claynounUS /kleɪ/

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

dancenounUS /dæns/

an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

dugnounUS /dʌɡ/

an udder or breast or teat

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

ExceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading You see that grave?

gravesnounUS /ɡreɪvz/

English writer known for his interest in mythology and in the classics (1895-1985)

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

I'd

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

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

LiesnounUS /laɪz/

plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

lucknounUS /lʌk/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

markverbUS /mɑːrk/

attach a tag or label to

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

moonnounUS /muːn/

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

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 The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

scarceadverbUS /skers/

only a very short time before

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

SextonnounUS /ˈsekstən/

United States poet (1928-1974)

From this reading 400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

takesnounUS /teɪks/

plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

talenounUS /teɪl/

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 400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'

ThanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading You see that grave?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The Lord he gives, The Lord, he takes away: O Sir! the child of my old age 395 Lies there as cold as clay.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

TisnounUS /tɪz/

plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

touchingadjectiveUS /ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/

arousing affect

From this reading 400 'Aye, Sexton! 'tis a touching tale.'

treadverbUS /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Except that grave, you scarce see one That was not dug by me; I'd rather dance upon 'em all Than tread upon these three!

wickedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪkəd/

morally bad in principle or practice

From this reading To see a man tread over graves I hold it no good mark; 390 'Tis wicked in the sun and moon, And bad luck in the dark!

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You see that grave?

Chapter 20 of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge holds 4593 sentences, grouped into 919 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.

What does chapter 20 of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 contain?

Chapter 20 holds 4593 sentences of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1, unabridged, divided into 919 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 4593 sentences, grouped into 919 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 20 of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1?

Work through the 919 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 919 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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.

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Common questions about reading The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1?

Yes. All 11855 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29091 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29091, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2371 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 section by section

How to work through The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor — Vol 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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