Chapter 22 of The Poet at the Breakfast-Table is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXII
Chapter 22 of The Poet at the Breakfast-Table is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
--I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee. --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature. She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects. I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do. -Wouldn't do?--said I,--why not?
Chapter 22 of The Poet at the Breakfast-Table is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
-ing form of “address” — speak to
From this reading “--I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.”
a person who eats human flesh
From this reading “She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.”
plural of “insect” — small air-breathing arthropod
From this reading “She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.”
someone who causes the death of a person or animal
From this reading “She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.”
plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading “She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.”
an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes
From this reading “I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.”
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading “I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.”
predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading “--I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature.
-ing form of “address” — speak to
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
a person who eats human flesh
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
plural of “insect” — small air-breathing arthropod
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.
someone who causes the death of a person or animal
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes
From this reading I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature.
predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
express a supposition
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading --Not exactly,--he answered,--she is a terrible creature.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading She loves me, I think, but she is a killer and a cannibal among other insects.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading -Wouldn't do?--said I,--why not?
in the company of; together with
From this reading I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wanted to pair her with a male spider, but it wouldn't do.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading --I suppose you do not trust your spider in the Muscarium?--said I, addressing the Scarabee.
Chapter 22 of The Poet at the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.
Chapter 22 holds 134 sentences of The Poet at the Breakfast-Table, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 22 of The Poet at the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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.
Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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.
Common questions about reading The Poet at the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3841 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2666 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2666, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 320 minutes of reading across 769 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Poet at the Breakfast-Table section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Poet at the Breakfast-Table to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Poet at the Breakfast-Table, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
