Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2
The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2
Context Illustration Reading 1/49 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[Footnote 1: Dr. Richard Helsham.]
[Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]
A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.
And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?
Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.
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 Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/49 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[Footnote 1: Dr. Richard Helsham.]
Line 2
[Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]
Line 3
A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.
Line 4
And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?
Line 5
Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

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.

Argus noun US /ˈɑːrɡəs/

(Greek mythology) a giant with 100 eyes; was guardian of the heifer Io and was slain by Hermes

From this reading “Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.”

belly noun US /ˈbeli/

the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis

From this reading “And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?”

bigger adjective US /ˈbɪɡər/

large or big relative to something else

From this reading “And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?”

Denying verb US /dɪˈnaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading “And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?”

sheridan noun US /ˈʃerɪdən/

Irish playwright remembered for his satirical comedies of manners (1751-1816)

From this reading “A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.”

Tory noun US /ˈtɔːri/

an American who favored the British side during the American Revolution

From this reading “And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?”

Twill noun US /twɪl/

a weave used to produce the effect of parallel diagonal ribs

From this reading “A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.”

whore noun US /hɔːr/

a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money

From this reading “Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.”

All words in this reading · 89

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.

1

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

From this reading [Footnote 1: Dr. Richard Helsham.]

140

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

From this reading [Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]

2

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

From this reading [Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

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 Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

ArgusnounUS /ˈɑːrɡəs/

(Greek mythology) a giant with 100 eyes; was guardian of the heifer Io and was slain by Hermes

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

bellynounUS /ˈbeli/

the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

biggeradjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡər/

large or big relative to something else

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

collyriumnoun

lotion consisting of a solution used as a cleanser for the eyes

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

CountrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading [Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

DELANY

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

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

DenyingverbUS /dɪˈnaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

Don't

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

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

Dr

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

From this reading [Footnote 1: Dr. Richard Helsham.]

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

FootnotenounUS /ˈfʊtnoʊt/

a printed note placed below the text on a printed page

From this reading [Footnote 1: Dr. Richard Helsham.]

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

gainverbUS /ɡeɪn/

obtain

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

Helsham

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

From this reading [Footnote 1: Dr. Richard Helsham.]

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

ipronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading [Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

LifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading [Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

Livynoun

Roman historian whose history of Rome filled 142 volumes (of which only 35 survive) including the earliest history of the war with Hannibal (59 BC to AD 17)

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

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 Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

meatnounUS /miːt/

the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

nationnounUS /ˈneɪʃən/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

open'd

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

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

OrconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

Ovid's

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

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

REPLYnounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

reputationnounUS /ˌrepjəˈteɪʃən/

the state of being held in high esteem and honor

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

Richard

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

From this reading [Footnote 1: Dr. Richard Helsham.]

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading [Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]

serveverbUS /sɜːrv/

serve a purpose, role, or function

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

SHERIDANnounUS /ˈʃerɪdən/

Irish playwright remembered for his satirical comedies of manners (1751-1816)

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

soreadjectiveUS /sɔːr/

hurting

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

TakeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [Footnote 2: See "The Country Life," i, 140.]

there's

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

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

TorynounUS /ˈtɔːri/

an American who favored the British side during the American Revolution

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

TwillnounUS /twɪl/

a weave used to produce the effect of parallel diagonal ribs

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

Twould

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

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

um

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

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

Wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

whorenounUS /hɔːr/

a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money

From this reading Your water so far goes, 'Twould serve for an Argus, Were all his whole hundred sore; So many we read He had in his head, Or Ovid's a son of a whore.

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading And these, I must tell ye, Are bigger than its belly;-- You know, there’s in Livy a story Of the hands and the feet Denying of meat,-- Don't I write in the dark like a Tory?

yepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading A REPLY, BY SHERIDAN, TO DELANY I like your collyrium, Take my eyes, sir, and clear ye 'um, 'Twill gain you a great reputation; By this you may rise, Like the doctor so wise,[1] Who open'd the eyes of the nation.

Chapter 13 of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 by Jonathan Swift holds 249 sentences, grouped into 50 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 13 of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 13 holds 249 sentences of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 by Jonathan Swift exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 249 sentences, grouped into 50 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 13 of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2?

Work through the 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 50 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2

Common questions about reading The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 by Jonathan Swift on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2?

Yes. All 3922 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13621 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13621, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 take to read?

About 326 minutes of reading across 785 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 section by section

How to work through The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 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 Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Hester
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vanhomrigh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vanessa
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Picture
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.