Chapter III
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of The Poetaster is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
2 Maid. Who would you speak with, sir? Cris. I would speak with my cousin Cytheris. 2 Maid.
The Poetaster
Chapter III · Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of The Poetaster is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
2
Maid.
Who
would
you
speak
with,
sir?
Cris.
I
would
speak
with
my
cousin
Cytheris.
2
Maid.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Poetaster
Chapter III · Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of The Poetaster is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
2
Maid.
Line 2
Who
would
you
speak
with,
sir?
/huː wʊd juː spiːk wɪð sɜːr/
Line 3
Cris.
Line 4
I
would
speak
with
my
cousin
Cytheris.
Line 5
2
Maid.
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.
cousin
noun
US /ˈkʌzən/
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading “I would speak with my cousin Cytheris.”
Maid
noun
US /meɪd/
a female domestic
From this reading “2 Maid.”
sir
noun
US /sɜːr/
term of address for a man
From this reading “Who would you speak with, sir?”
speak
verb
US /spiːk/
express in speech
From this reading “Who would you speak with, sir?”
would
modal verb
US /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Who would you speak with, sir?”
All words in this reading · 13
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.
2
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 2 Maid.
cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading I would speak with my cousin Cytheris.
Cris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cris.
Cytheris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would speak with my cousin Cytheris.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I would speak with my cousin Cytheris.
MaidnounUS /meɪd/
a female domestic
From this reading 2 Maid.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I would speak with my cousin Cytheris.
sirnounUS /sɜːr/
term of address for a man
From this reading Who would you speak with, sir?
speakverbUS /spiːk/
express in speech
From this reading Who would you speak with, sir?
WhopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Who would you speak with, sir?
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Who would you speak with, sir?
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Who would you speak with, sir?
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Who would you speak with, sir?
Chapter 3 of The Poetaster by Ben Jonson holds 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 3 of The Poetaster contain?
Chapter 3 holds 384 sentences of The Poetaster, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Poetaster by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 3 of The Poetaster?
Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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 3 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Poetaster
Common questions about reading The Poetaster by Ben Jonson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Poetaster?
Yes. All 3908 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5166 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Poetaster is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #5166, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Poetaster take to read?
About 325 minutes of reading across 782 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Poetaster section by section
How to work through The Poetaster section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
-
Open a chapter
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Poetaster to begin.
-
Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
-
Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Poetaster
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Poetaster, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Greatest
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetaster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- English
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetaster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Dramatists
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetaster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Except
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetaster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.