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The Plumed Serpent
The Plumed Serpent

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Plumed Serpent is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Plumed Serpent
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.
It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.
Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.
Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.
Try!
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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 Plumed Serpent

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Plumed Serpent is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.
/biː ˈveri kliːn kliːn ɪn jɔːr ˈbɑːdiz ənd jɔːr kloʊðz/
Line 2
It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.
/ɪt ɪz laɪk ə stɑːr ðæt wɪl nɑːt ʃaɪn ɪn dɜːrt/
Line 3
Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.
/biː ˈveri breɪv ənd duː nɑːt drɪŋk tɪl juː ɑːr drʌŋk nɔːr sɔɪl jərˈself wɪð bæd ˈwɪmən nɔːr stiːl/
Line 4
Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.
Line 5
Try!
/traɪ/

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.

coward noun US /ˈkaʊərd/

a person who shows fear or timidity

From this reading “Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.”

dirt noun US /dɜːrt/

the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock

From this reading “It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.”

drunken adjective US /ˈdrʌŋkən/

given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol

From this reading “Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.”

hates noun US /heɪts/

plural of “hate” — the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action

From this reading “Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.”

loses verb US /ˈluːzəz/

third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading “Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.”

shine verb US /ʃaɪn/

be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading “It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.”

steal verb US /stiːl/

take without the owner's consent

From this reading ““Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.”

thief noun US /θiːf/

a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading “Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.”

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.

drunken man adjective + noun

In this reading “Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.”

shine in verb + particle

In this reading “It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.”

All words in this reading · 48

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 It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

Beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading “Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.

BecauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

bodiesnounUS /ˈbɑːdiz/

plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading “Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.

braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

cleanadjectiveUS /kliːn/

free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits

From this reading “Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

From this reading “Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.

cowardnounUS /ˈkaʊərd/

a person who shows fear or timidity

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

dirtnounUS /dɜːrt/

the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

drinkverbUS /drɪŋk/

take in liquids

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

drunkadjectiveUS /drʌŋk/

stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

drunkenadjectiveUS /ˈdrʌŋkən/

given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

hatesnounUS /heɪts/

plural of “hate” — the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

Huitzilopochtli

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

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

losesverbUS /ˈluːzəz/

third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

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

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

shineverbUS /ʃaɪn/

be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

soilnounUS /sɔɪl/

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

stealverbUS /stiːl/

take without the owner's consent

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

thiefnounUS /θiːf/

a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading Because a drunken man has lost his second strength, and a man loses his strength in bad women, and a thief is a coward, and the red Huitzilopochtli hates a coward.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

TryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading “Try!

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading “Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading It is like a star, that will not shine in dirt.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Be very clean, clean in your bodies and your clothes.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading “Be very brave, and do not drink till you are drunk, nor soil yourself with bad women, nor steal.

Chapter 28 of The Plumed Serpent by D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 28 of The Plumed Serpent contain?

Chapter 28 holds 423 sentences of The Plumed Serpent, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of The Plumed Serpent by D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 28 of The Plumed Serpent?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 Plumed Serpent

Common questions about reading The Plumed Serpent by D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Plumed Serpent?

Yes. All 13514 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73677 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Plumed Serpent is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #73677, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Plumed Serpent take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2703 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Plumed Serpent section by section

How to work through The Plumed Serpent section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Plumed Serpent 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 Plumed Serpent

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Plumed Serpent, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sunday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Plumed Serpent; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Easter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Plumed Serpent; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bull-fight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Plumed Serpent; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Season
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Plumed Serpent; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.