Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Daemon of the World
The Daemon of the World

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Daemon of the World is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Daemon of the World
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
O happy Earth! reality of Heaven!
To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!
295 Thou glorious prize of blindly-working will!
Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!
Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Daemon of the World

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Daemon of the World is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
O happy Earth! reality of Heaven!
/oʊ ˈhæpi ɜːrθ ˌriːˈælətiː ʌv ˈhevən/
Line 2
To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!
/tuː wɪtʃ ðoʊz ˈrestləs ˈpaʊərz ðæt ˈsiːzləsli θrɔːŋ θruː ðə ˈhjuːmən ˈjuːnəvɜːrs əˈspaɪr ðaʊ ˌkɑːnsəˈmeɪʃən ʌv ɔːl ˈmɔːrtəl hoʊp/
Line 3
295 Thou glorious prize of blindly-working will!
Line 4
Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!
Line 5
Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

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.

aspire verb US /əˈspaɪr/

have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal

From this reading “To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!”

blend verb US /blend/

combine into one

From this reading “Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!”

ceaselessly adverb US /ˈsiːzləsli/

with unflagging resolve

From this reading “To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!”

consummation noun US /ˌkɑːnsəˈmeɪʃən/

the completion of marriage by sexual intercourse

From this reading “To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!”

diffused adjective US /dɪˈfjuːzd/

(of light rays) subjected to scattering by reflection from a rough surface or transmission through a translucent material

From this reading “Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!”

impotence noun US /ˈɪmpətəns/

the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble

From this reading “Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!”

purest adjective US /ˈpjʊrəst/

superlative of “pure” — free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading “Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!”

Verge noun US /vɜːrdʒ/

a region marking a boundary

From this reading “Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

295

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

From this reading 295 Thou glorious prize of blindly-working will!

300

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

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

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 To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

aspireverbUS /əˈspaɪr/

have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

blendverbUS /blend/

combine into one

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

blindly-working

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

From this reading 295 Thou glorious prize of blindly-working will!

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

ceaselesslyadverbUS /ˈsiːzləsli/

with unflagging resolve

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

consummationnounUS /ˌkɑːnsəˈmeɪʃən/

the completion of marriage by sexual intercourse

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

crimenounUS /kraɪm/

(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

dareverbUS /der/

take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

diffusedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfjuːzd/

(of light rays) subjected to scattering by reflection from a rough surface or transmission through a translucent material

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

diseasenounUS /dɪˈziːz/

an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

dwelling-place

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

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

EarthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading O happy Earth! reality of Heaven!

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

gloriousadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɔːriəs/

having or deserving or conferring glory

From this reading 295 Thou glorious prize of blindly-working will!

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading O happy Earth! reality of Heaven!

HeavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading O happy Earth! reality of Heaven!

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

ignorancenounUS /ˈɪɡnərəns/

the lack of knowledge or education

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

impotencenounUS /ˈɪmpətəns/

the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

Languornoun

a relaxed comfortable feeling

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

mortaladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrtəl/

subject to death

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

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 O happy Earth! reality of Heaven!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading O happy Earth! reality of Heaven!

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

powersnounUS /ˈpaʊərz/

plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

prizenounUS /praɪz/

something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery

From this reading 295 Thou glorious prize of blindly-working will!

pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

purestadjectiveUS /ˈpjʊrəst/

superlative of “pure” — free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

raysnounUS /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

realitynounUS /ˌriːˈælətiː/

all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you

From this reading O happy Earth! reality of Heaven!

restlessadjectiveUS /ˈrestləs/

worried and uneasy

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

spiritsnounUS /ˈspɪrɪts/

an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

ThoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

ThrongnounUS /θrɔːŋ/

a large gathering of people

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

throughoutprepositionUS /θruːˈaʊt/

in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

VergenounUS /vɜːrdʒ/

a region marking a boundary

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Where care and sorrow, impotence and crime, 300 Languor, disease, and ignorance dare not come: O happy Earth, reality of Heaven!

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading To which those restless powers that ceaselessly Throng through the human universe aspire; Thou consummation of all mortal hope!

WhosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Whose rays, diffused throughout all space and time, Verge to one point and blend for ever there: Of purest spirits thou pure dwelling-place!

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading 295 Thou glorious prize of blindly-working will!

Chapter 2 of The Daemon of the World by Percy Bysshe Shelley holds 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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 2 of The Daemon of the World contain?

Chapter 2 holds 55 sentences of The Daemon of the World, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Daemon of the World by Percy Bysshe Shelley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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 2 of The Daemon of the World?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Daemon of the World

Common questions about reading The Daemon of the World by Percy Bysshe Shelley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Daemon of the World?

Yes. All 118 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4654 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Daemon of the World is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4654, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Daemon of the World take to read?

About 9 minutes of reading across 24 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Daemon of the World section by section

How to work through The Daemon of the World section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Daemon of the World 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 Daemon of the World

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Daemon of the World, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Tantum
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Daemon of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prodere
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Daemon of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quantum
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Daemon of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Daemon of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.