Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1
The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'
There is one of the fine thoughts.
And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.
Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...
I wonder!
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 letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'
Line 2
There is one of the fine thoughts.
/ðer ɪz wʌn ʌv ðə faɪn θɔːts/
Line 3
And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.
Line 4
Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...
Line 5
I wonder!
/aɪ ˈwʌndər/

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.

attempt noun US /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading “'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'”

East noun US /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading “And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.”

fine adjective US /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading “There is one of the fine thoughts.”

hurt verb US /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading “Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...”

looks noun US /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading “And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.”

rise verb US /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading “'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'”

thoughts noun US /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading “There is one of the fine thoughts.”

wonder noun US /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading “I wonder!”

All words in this reading · 41

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 people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

Ah

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

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

attemptnounUS /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

completer

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

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

Domizia

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

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

EastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading There is one of the fine thoughts.

half-disdain

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

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

half-pardon

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

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

how

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

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I wonder!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

Luria

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

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is one of the fine thoughts.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading There is one of the fine thoughts.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading 'A people is but the attempt of many To rise to the completer life of one.'

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading I wonder!

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Ah--Domizia! would it hurt her to make her more a woman ... a little ...

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading And how fine _he_ is, your Luria, when he looks back to his East, through the half-pardon and half-disdain of Domizia.

Chapter 17 of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 by Robert Browning holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 17 of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 contain?

Chapter 17 holds 427 sentences of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 by Robert Browning exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 17 of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1

Common questions about reading The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 by Robert Browning on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1?

Yes. All 7911 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16182 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16182, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1583 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 section by section

How to work through The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1 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 letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Considering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Question
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Publishing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
These
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth — Vol. 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.