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The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)
The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) is here in full — 380 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)
Context Illustration Reading 1/76 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.
It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.
St. Thomas (_Summa Theol._ Quaest. lvii.
Art.
4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) is here in full — 380 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.
/ˈmɑːdərn ˈedɪtərz baɪ riˈmuːvɪŋ ðə ˈkɑːmə ˈæftər θɔːts hæv ˈɔːltərd ðə sens ʌv ðiːz laɪnz/
Line 2
It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.
/ɪt ɪz nɑːt ðæt ʃiː kʊd red hɪz θɔːts ˈbetər ðæn æn ˈeɪndʒəl bʌt ðæt ʃiː kʊd red ðem æt ɔːl ə ˈpaʊər wɪtʃ ɪz nɑːt ˈɡræntəd tuː ˈeɪndʒəlz/
Line 3
St. Thomas (_Summa Theol._ Quaest. lvii.
Line 4
Art.
/ɑːrt/
Line 5
4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

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.

altered adjective US /ˈɔːltərd/

changed in form or character without becoming something else

From this reading “Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.”

Angels noun US /ˈeɪndʒəlz/

plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading “It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.”

comma noun US /ˈkɑːmə/

a punctuation mark (,) used to indicate the separation of elements within the grammatical structure of a sentence

From this reading “Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.”

concludes verb US /kənˈkluːdz/

third-person singular of “conclude” — decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion

From this reading “4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'”

discusses verb US /dɪˈskʌsəz/

third-person singular of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing

From this reading “4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'”

editors noun US /ˈedɪtərz/

plural of “editor” — a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)

From this reading “Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.”

granted adjective US /ˈɡræntəd/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading “It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.”

removing verb US /riˈmuːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading “Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

4

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

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 not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

alteredadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərd/

changed in form or character without becoming something else

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

angelnounUS /ˈeɪndʒəl/

spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

angeli

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

AngelsnounUS /ˈeɪndʒəlz/

plural of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

Artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

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

From this reading Art.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

autem

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

cogitationes

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

cognitae

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

cognoscant

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

Cognoscunt

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

commanounUS /ˈkɑːmə/

a punctuation mark (,) used to indicate the separation of elements within the grammatical structure of a sentence

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

concludesverbUS /kənˈkluːdz/

third-person singular of “conclude” — decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

cordium

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

Deo

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

discussesverbUS /dɪˈskʌsəz/

third-person singular of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

editorsnounUS /ˈedɪtərz/

plural of “editor” — a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

effectibus

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

grantedadjectiveUS /ˈɡræntəd/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

ipsis

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

lviiadjective

being seven more than fifty

From this reading St. Thomas (_Summa Theol._ Quaest. lvii.

ModernadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːdərn/

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

naturaliter

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

Quaest

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

From this reading St. Thomas (_Summa Theol._ Quaest. lvii.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

removingverbUS /riˈmuːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

senounUS /seɪ/

a toxic nonmetallic element related to sulfur and tellurium

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

St

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

From this reading St. Thomas (_Summa Theol._ Quaest. lvii.

suis

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

Summa

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

From this reading St. Thomas (_Summa Theol._ Quaest. lvii.

sunt

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

tantum

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

Theol

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

From this reading St. Thomas (_Summa Theol._ Quaest. lvii.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

ThomasnounUS /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading St. Thomas (_Summa Theol._ Quaest. lvii.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

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

From this reading Modern editors, by removing the comma after 'thoughts', have altered the sense of these lines.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

utnoun

the local time at the 0 meridian passing through Greenwich, England; it is the same everywhere

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

Utrum

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

From this reading 4) discusses 'Utrum angeli cognoscant cogitationes cordium', and concludes, 'Cognoscunt Angeli cordium cogitationes in suis effectibus: ut autem in se ipsis sunt, Deo tantum sunt naturaliter cognitae.'

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It is not that she could read his thoughts better than an angel, but that she could read them at all, a power which is not granted to Angels.

Chapter 9 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) by John Donne holds 380 sentences, grouped into 76 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 9 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) contain?

Chapter 9 holds 380 sentences of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 76 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) by John Donne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 380 sentences, grouped into 76 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 9 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)?

Work through the 76 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 76 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)

Common questions about reading The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) by John Donne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)?

Yes. All 10323 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48772 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48772, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2065 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) section by section

How to work through The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) 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 Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Enclosed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Equal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Signs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
English
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.