Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Kempton-Wace Letters
The Kempton-Wace Letters

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Kempton-Wace Letters is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Kempton-Wace Letters
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
To-day there is a change in attitude.
Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.
She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.
She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.
I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.
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 Kempton-Wace Letters

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Kempton-Wace Letters is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
To-day there is a change in attitude.
Line 2
Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.
Line 3
She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.
/ʃiː ɪz æn ˈiːkwəl ə ˈkɑːmræd ə raɪt ˈriːɡəl ˈpɜːrsən/
Line 4
She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.
/ʃiː ɪz noʊ ˈlɔːŋɡər ə miːnz bʌt æn end ɪn hərˈself nɑːt əˈloʊn fɪt tuː ˈmʌðər men bʌt fɪt tuː laɪv ɪn ɪˈkwɑːləti wɪð men/
Line 5
I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.
/aɪ rɪˈpiːt ʃiː ɪz nɑːt ə miːnz bʌt æn ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl wɪð ə soʊl ʌv hɜːr oʊn tuː rɪr/

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.

blossom verb US /ˈblɑːsəm/

produce or yield flowers

From this reading “Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.”

chivalry noun US /ˈʃɪvəlri/

courtesy towards women

From this reading “Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.”

comrade noun US /ˈkɑːmræd/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading “She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.”

equality noun US /ɪˈkwɑːləti/

the quality of being the same in quantity or measure or value or status

From this reading “She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.”

individual adjective US /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading “I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.”

rear noun US /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading “I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.”

regal adjective US /ˈriːɡəl/

belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler

From this reading “She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.”

repeat verb US /rɪˈpiːt/

to say, state, or perform again

From this reading “I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.”

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.

ever known adverb + adjective

In this reading “Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.”

live in verb + particle

live in the house where one works

In this reading “She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.”

change in verb + particle

In this reading “To-day there is a change in attitude.”

All words in this reading · 50

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 To-day there is a change in attitude.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

attitudenounUS /ˈætətuːd/

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading To-day there is a change in attitude.

blossomverbUS /ˈblɑːsəm/

produce or yield flowers

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading To-day there is a change in attitude.

chivalrynounUS /ˈʃɪvəlri/

courtesy towards women

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

comradenounUS /ˈkɑːmræd/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.

dignitynounUS /ˈdɪɡnəti/

the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

equalverbUS /ˈiːkwəl/

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.

equalitynounUS /ɪˈkwɑːləti/

the quality of being the same in quantity or measure or value or status

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

fitverbUS /fɪt/

be agreeable or acceptable to

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

highestadjectiveUS /ˈhaɪəst/

superlative of “high” — greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading To-day there is a change in attitude.

individualadjectiveUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading To-day there is a change in attitude.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

new-born

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

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.

rearnounUS /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.

regaladjectiveUS /ˈriːɡəl/

belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler

From this reading She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.

repeatverbUS /rɪˈpiːt/

to say, state, or perform again

From this reading I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She is an equal, a comrade, a right regal person.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

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

From this reading I repeat, she is not a means but an individual, with a soul of her own to rear.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading To-day there is a change in attitude.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

To-day

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

From this reading To-day there is a change in attitude.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She is no longer a means but an end in herself, not alone fit to mother men but fit to live in equality with men.

WomannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Woman is new-born in strength and dignity, and the highest chivalry the world has ever known is in blossom.

Chapter 4 of The Kempton-Wace Letters by Jack London holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Kempton-Wace Letters contain?

Chapter 4 holds 415 sentences of The Kempton-Wace Letters, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Kempton-Wace Letters by Jack London exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Kempton-Wace Letters?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 Kempton-Wace Letters

Common questions about reading The Kempton-Wace Letters by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Kempton-Wace Letters?

Yes. All 2869 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31422 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Kempton-Wace Letters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31422, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Kempton-Wace Letters take to read?

About 239 minutes of reading across 574 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Kempton-Wace Letters section by section

How to work through The Kempton-Wace Letters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Kempton-Wace Letters 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 Kempton-Wace Letters

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Kempton-Wace Letters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Opened
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kempton-Wace Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Windows
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kempton-Wace Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Splendour
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kempton-Wace Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Savagery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Kempton-Wace Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.