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The Confession of a Child of the Century
The Confession of a Child of the Century

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Confession of a Child of the Century is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.
According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.
Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.
The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.
Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Confession of a Child of the Century

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Confession of a Child of the Century is here in full — 68 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.
/ə smɔːl ˈwʊdən ˈreɪlɪŋ wɑːz pleɪst ərˈaʊnd maɪ ˈfɑːðərz ɡreɪv/
Line 2
According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.
/əˈkɔːrdɪŋ tuː hɪz ɪkˈsprest wɪʃ hiː wɑːz ˈberid ɪn ðə ˈvɪlədʒ ˈseməteri/
Line 3
Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.
/ˈevəri deɪ aɪ ˈvɪzɪtɪd hɪz tuːm ənd pæst pɑːrt ʌv ðə deɪ ɑːn ə ˈlɪtəl bentʃ ɪn ðə ˌɪnˈtɪriər ʌv ðə vɒlt/
Line 4
The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.
/ðə rest ʌv ðə taɪm aɪ lɪvd əˈloʊn ɪn ðə haʊs ɪn wɪtʃ hiː daɪd ənd aɪ kept wɪð miː ˈoʊnli wʌn ˈsɜːrvənt/
Line 5
Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.
/ˌwʌˈtevər ˈsɑːroʊz ðə ˈpæʃənz meɪ kɑːz ðə woʊz ʌv laɪf ɑːr nɑːt tuː biː kəmˈperd wɪð ðoʊz ʌv deθ/

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.

cemetery noun US /ˈseməteri/

a tract of land used for burials

From this reading “According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.”

interior adjective US /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/

situated within or suitable for inside a building

From this reading “Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.”

passions noun US /ˈpæʃənz/

plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading “Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.”

railing noun US /ˈreɪlɪŋ/

a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports

From this reading “A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.”

sorrows noun US /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading “Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.”

tomb noun US /tuːm/

a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)

From this reading “Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.”

vault noun US /vɒlt/

An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.

From this reading “Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.”

woes noun US /woʊz/

plural of “woe” — misery resulting from affliction

From this reading “Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

AccordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

benchnounUS /bentʃ/

a long seat for more than one person

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

buriedadjectiveUS /ˈberid/

placed in a grave

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

cemeterynounUS /ˈseməteri/

a tract of land used for burials

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

expressedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsprest/

communicated in words

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

interioradjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/

situated within or suitable for inside a building

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/

plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

railingnounUS /ˈreɪlɪŋ/

a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

SMALLadjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

sorrowsnounUS /ˈsɑːroʊz/

plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

tombnounUS /tuːm/

a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

vaultnounUS /vɒlt/

An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

visitedverbUS /ˈvɪzɪtɪd/

past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading Every day I visited his tomb and passed part of the day on a little bench in the interior of the vault.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

WhateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading According to his expressed wish, he was buried in the village cemetery.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The rest of the time I lived alone in the house in which he died and I kept with me only one servant.

woesnounUS /woʊz/

plural of “woe” — misery resulting from affliction

From this reading Whatever sorrows the passions may cause, the woes of life are not to be compared with those of death.

woodenadjectiveUS /ˈwʊdən/

made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood

From this reading A SMALL wooden railing was placed around my father's grave.

Chapter 15 of The Confession of a Child of the Century by Alfred de Musset holds 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 15 of The Confession of a Child of the Century contain?

Chapter 15 holds 68 sentences of The Confession of a Child of the Century, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Confession of a Child of the Century by Alfred de Musset exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 68 sentences, grouped into 14 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 15 of The Confession of a Child of the Century?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Confession of a Child of the Century

Common questions about reading The Confession of a Child of the Century by Alfred de Musset on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Confession of a Child of the Century?

Yes. All 4019 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9869 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Confession of a Child of the Century is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #9869, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Confession of a Child of the Century take to read?

About 334 minutes of reading across 804 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Confession of a Child of the Century section by section

How to work through The Confession of a Child of the Century section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Confession of a Child of the Century 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 Confession of a Child of the Century

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Confession of a Child of the Century, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Explain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Confession of a Child of the Century; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Confession of a Child of the Century; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Taken
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Confession of a Child of the Century; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Malady
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Confession of a Child of the Century; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.