The Garden of God

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The Garden of God is here in full — 37 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Garden of God

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

She lay watching the last glow of the sunset, and then the instantly following stars held her gaze, talking to her of Karolin and the great sea spaces she had been suddenly caught away from.

The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XVI Reading 1/7

The Garden of God H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The Garden of God is here in full — 37 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes. She lay watching the last glow of the sunset, and then the instantly following stars held her gaze, talking to her of Karolin and the great sea spaces she had been suddenly caught away from. The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be. What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef? Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

The Garden of God

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The Garden of God is here in full — 37 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

Line 2

She lay watching the last glow of the sunset, and then the instantly following stars held her gaze, talking to her of Karolin and the great sea spaces she had been suddenly caught away from.

Line 3

The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

Line 4

What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

Line 5

Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

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.

adequately adverb US /ˈædəkwətli/

in an adequate manner or to an adequate degree

From this reading “The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.”

atoll noun US /ˈætɑːl/

an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon

From this reading “The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.”

distances noun US /ˈdɪstənsəz/

plural of “distance” — the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading “What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?”

lagoons noun US /ləˈɡuːnz/

plural of “lagoon” — a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral

From this reading “What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?”

spaces noun US /ˈspeɪsəz/

plural of “space” — the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading “She lay watching the last glow of the sunset, and then the instantly following stars held her gaze, talking to her of Karolin and the great sea spaces she had been suddenly caught away from.”

starlight noun US /ˈstɑːrlaɪt/

the light of the stars

From this reading “What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?”

sunsets noun US /ˈsʌnsets/

plural of “sunset” — the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

From this reading “What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?”

vastness noun US /ˈvæstnəs/

unusual largeness in size or extent or number

From this reading “What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?”

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.

lay down verb + adjective

institute, enact, or establish

In this reading “A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.”

on a raft preposition + article + noun counted as “on … raft”

In this reading “Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.”

ON THE REEF preposition + article + noun counted as “on … reef”

In this reading “A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.”

All words in this reading · 84

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 FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

adequatelyadverbUS /ˈædəkwətli/

in an adequate manner or to an adequate degree

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

atollnounUS /ˈætɑːl/

an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading She lay watching the last glow of the sunset, and then the instantly following stars held her gaze, talking to her of Karolin and the great sea spaces she had been suddenly caught away from.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/

plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

bottomnounUS /ˈbɑːtəm/

the lower side of anything

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

brushverbUS /brʌʃ/

rub with a brush, or as if with a brush

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

canoenounUS /kəˈnuː/

small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

ContinuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

describedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskraɪbd/

represented in words especially with sharpness and detail

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

distancesnounUS /ˈdɪstənsəz/

plural of “distance” — the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

FIREverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

glownounUS /ɡloʊ/

an alert and refreshed state

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

immensitynoun

unusual largeness in size or extent or number

From this reading Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

instantlyadverbUS /ˈɪnstəntli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

islandnounUS /ˈaɪlənd/

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

Karolin

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

Katafa

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

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

lagoonsnounUS /ləˈɡuːnz/

plural of “lagoon” — a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

LifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

paintverbUS /peɪnt/

make a painting

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

raftnounUS /ræft/

a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers

From this reading Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

REEFnounUS /riːf/

a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Life on an atoll is like life on a raft: immensity on every side—and the sea.

spacesnounUS /ˈspeɪsəz/

plural of “space” — the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

starlightnounUS /ˈstɑːrlaɪt/

the light of the stars

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

starsnounUS /stɑːrz/

plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

sunrises

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

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

sunsetnounUS /ˈsʌnset/

the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

sunsetsnounUS /ˈsʌnsets/

plural of “sunset” — the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

unbrokenadjectiveUS /ənˈbroʊkən/

marked by continuous or uninterrupted extension in space or time or sequence

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

vastnessnounUS /ˈvæstnəs/

unusual largeness in size or extent or number

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What brush or pen could paint the starlight on the great lagoons, the sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of the distances unbroken by any land but just the low ring of reef?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading A FIRE ON THE REEF (Continued) Katafa, when she had arranged her hair and made her bed of blankets in the bottom of the canoe, lay down, but she did not close her eyes.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading The atoll island has never been adequately described by pen or brush—never will be.

Chapter 16 of The Garden of God by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole holds 37 sentences, grouped into 8 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 16 of The Garden of God contain?

Chapter 16 holds 37 sentences of The Garden of God, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Garden of God by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 37 sentences, grouped into 8 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 16 of The Garden of God?

Work through the 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 8 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Garden of God

Common questions about reading The Garden of God by H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Garden of God?

Yes. All 3253 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58593 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Garden of God is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #58593, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Garden of God take to read?

About 271 minutes of reading across 651 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Garden of God section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Garden of God to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Garden of God

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Garden of God, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Lestrange: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Garden of God; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whale: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Garden of God; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dinghy: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Garden of God; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Together: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Garden of God; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVI

What does chapter 16 of The Garden of God contain?

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Can chapter 16 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Garden of God

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Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in The Garden of God