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The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II)
The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II)

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) is here in full — 233 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II)
Context Illustration Reading 1/46 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."
"Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.
"But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?
From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?
"Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?
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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 Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II)

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) is here in full — 233 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."
Line 2
"Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.
Line 3
"But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?
/bʌt sɪns ðə saɪt ʌv ðiː maɪn aɪz dɪd bles wʌt kæn aɪ biː bʌt ðaɪn wʌt wʊdst ðaʊ hæv/
Line 4
From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?
/frʌm ðoʊz ðaɪ wɜːrdz aɪ diːm frʌm sʌm dɪˈstres baɪ diːdz ʌv maɪn ðaɪ dɪr laɪf aɪ maɪt seɪv oʊ ðen dɪˈleɪ nɑːt ɪf wʌn ˈevər ɡeɪv hɪz laɪf tuː ˈeni maɪn aɪ ɡɪv tuː ðiː kʌm tel miː wʌt ðə praɪs ʌv lʌv mʌst biː/
Line 5
"Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?
/swɪft deθ tuː biː wɪð ðiː ə deɪ ənd naɪt ənd wɪð ðə ˈɜːrliəst ˈdɔːnɪŋ tuː biː sleɪn/

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.

avail verb US /əˈveɪl/

use to one's advantage

From this reading “"But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."”

beware verb US /bɪˈwer/

be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to

From this reading “"But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."”

dawning noun US /ˈdɔːnɪŋ/

the first light of day

From this reading “"Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?”

deem verb US /diːm/

keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view

From this reading “From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?”

earliest adjective US /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading “"Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?”

peddling noun US /ˈpedəlɪŋ/

the act of selling goods for a living

From this reading “"Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.”

thereafter adverb US /ðeˈræftər/

from that time on

From this reading “"But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."”

wouldst modal verb US /wʊdst/

an old form of “would”, used with “thou”

From this reading “"But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

bear away verb + particle

remove from a certain place, environment, or mental or emotional state; transport into a new location or state

In this reading “"But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."”

All words in this reading · 128

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 "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

a-flame

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

availverbUS /əˈveɪl/

use to one's advantage

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

basenounUS /beɪs/

installation from which a military force initiates operations

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

bearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

BecauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

bentnounUS /bent/

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

bewareverbUS /bɪˈwer/

be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

bidverbUS /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

blessverbUS /bles/

give a benediction to

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

com'st

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

dawningnounUS /ˈdɔːnɪŋ/

the first light of day

From this reading "Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading "Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading "Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?

deedsnounUS /diːdz/

performance of moral or religious acts

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

deemverbUS /diːm/

keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

delayverbUS /dɪˈleɪ/

cause to be slowed down or delayed

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

distressnounUS /dɪˈstres/

psychological suffering

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

dostauxiliary verbUS /dɑːst/

an old form of “do”, used with “thou”

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading "Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?

enow

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

famenounUS /feɪm/

the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/

a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

gatherverbUS /ˈɡæðər/

assemble or get together

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

happilyadverbUS /ˈhæpəli/

in a joyous manner

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

heedlesslyadverb

without care or concern

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

knowingadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊɪŋ/

evidencing the possession of inside information

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

NeitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading "Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

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 From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

peddlingnounUS /ˈpedəlɪŋ/

the act of selling goods for a living

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

pricenounUS /praɪs/

the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

slainnounUS /sleɪn/

people who have been slain (as in battle)

From this reading "Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

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 "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

StoutadjectiveUS /staʊt/

dependable

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

SwiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading "Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?

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 "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

theepronounUS /ðiː/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

thereafteradverbUS /ðeˈræftər/

from that time on

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

thinepronounUS /ðaɪn/

an old word for “yours”

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

voyagenounUS /ˈvɔɪədʒ/

an act of traveling by water

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

wanderedverbUS /ˈwɑːndərd/

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

wickedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪkəd/

morally bad in principle or practice

From this reading "But if thou com'st here, knowing of my tale, In hope to bear away my body fair, Stout must thine heart be, nor shall that avail If thou a wicked soul in thee dost bear; So once again I bid thee to beware, Because no base man things like this may see, And live thereafter long and happily."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Swift death, to be with thee a day and night And with the earliest dawning to be slain?

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading From those thy words, I deem from some distress By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save; O then, delay not! if one ever gave His life to any, mine I give to thee; Come, tell me what the price of love must be?

wouldstmodal verbUS /wʊdst/

an old form of “would”, used with “thou”

From this reading "But since the sight of thee mine eyes did bless, What can I be but thine? what wouldst thou have?

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading "Lady," he said, "in Florence is my home, And in my city noble is my name; Neither on peddling voyage am I come, But, like my fathers, bent to gather fame; And though thy face has set my heart a-flame Yet of thy story nothing do I know, But here have wandered heedlessly enow.

Chapter 4 of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) by William Morris holds 233 sentences, grouped into 47 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 4 of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) contain?

Chapter 4 holds 233 sentences of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II), unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) by William Morris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 233 sentences, grouped into 47 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 4 of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II)?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II)

Common questions about reading The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) by William Morris on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II)?

Yes. All 1339 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30332 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30332, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) take to read?

About 111 minutes of reading across 268 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) section by section

How to work through The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II) 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 Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II)

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

William
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morris
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Death
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Earthly Paradise: A Poem (Part II); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.