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

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)
Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
What follows is ambiguous.
As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.
This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'
The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.
But can 'on this side' mean 'in the cloister'?
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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 XIX

Chapter 19 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
What follows is ambiguous.
/wʌt ˈfɑːloʊz ɪz æmˈbɪɡjuːəs/
Line 2
As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.
Line 3
This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'
Line 4
The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.
/ðə læst laɪn ðʌs kənˈteɪnz ə ʃɑːrp ænˈtɪθəsəs/
Line 5
But can 'on this side' mean 'in the cloister'?
/bʌt kæn ɑːn ðɪs saɪd miːn ɪn ðə ˈklɔɪstər/

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.

ambiguous adjective US /æmˈbɪɡjuːəs/

open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead

From this reading “What follows is ambiguous.”

antithesis noun US /ænˈtɪθəsəs/

exact opposite

From this reading “The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.”

cloister verb US /ˈklɔɪstər/

surround with a cloister, as of a garden

From this reading “This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'”

comport verb US /kəmˈpɔːrt/

behave well or properly

From this reading “As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.”

permissible adjective US /pərˈmɪsəbəl/

that may be permitted especially as according to rule

From this reading “This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'”

punctuated verb US /ˈpʌŋktʃuːeɪtɪd/

past form of “punctuate” — insert punctuation marks into

From this reading “As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.”

separating verb US /ˈsepəreɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “separate” — act as a barrier between; stand between

From this reading “This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'”

sinful adjective US /ˈsɪnfəl/

characterized by iniquity; wicked because it is believed to be a sin

From this reading “This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'”

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.

at Court preposition + noun

In this reading “This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

1633

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

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.

ambiguousadjectiveUS /æmˈbɪɡjuːəs/

open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead

From this reading What follows is ambiguous.

amusementsnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənts/

plural of “amusement” — a feeling of delight at being entertained

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

antithesisnounUS /ænˈtɪθəsəs/

exact opposite

From this reading The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

becomingadjectiveUS /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/

according with custom or propriety

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But can 'on this side' mean 'in the cloister'?

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading But can 'on this side' mean 'in the cloister'?

cloisterverbUS /ˈklɔɪstər/

surround with a cloister, as of a garden

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

comportverbUS /kəmˈpɔːrt/

behave well or properly

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

containsverbUS /kənˈteɪnz/

third-person singular of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.

CourtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

disportverb

occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

followsverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading What follows is ambiguous.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading What follows is ambiguous.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

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

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

permissibleadjectiveUS /pərˈmɪsəbəl/

that may be permitted especially as according to rule

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

practicallyadverbUS /ˈpræktɪkli/

almost; nearly

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

punctuatedverbUS /ˈpʌŋktʃuːeɪtɪd/

past form of “punctuate” — insert punctuation marks into

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

repeatingnounUS /rɪˈpiːtɪŋ/

the act of doing or performing again

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

separatingverbUS /ˈsepəreɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “separate” — act as a barrier between; stand between

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

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

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

sinnounUS /sɪn/

estrangement from god

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

sinfuladjectiveUS /ˈsɪnfəl/

characterized by iniquity; wicked because it is believed to be a sin

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

sinne

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

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading The last line thus contains a sharp antithesis.

vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

vaine

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

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What follows is ambiguous.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading As punctuated in _1633_ the lines run: some vaine disport, On this side, sinne: with that place may comport.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading This must mean, practically repeating what has been said: 'Some vain amusements which, on this side of the line separating the cloister from the Court, would be sin; are on that side, in the Court, becoming--amusements, sinful in the cloister, are permissible at Court.'

Chapter 19 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) by John Donne holds 388 sentences, grouped into 78 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 19 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2) contain?

Chapter 19 holds 388 sentences of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 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 388 sentences, grouped into 78 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 19 of The Poems of John Donne, Volume 2 (of 2)?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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.

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

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

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

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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.