Chapter VII
Chapter 7
Chapter 7 of The Poetaster is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Caes. I ask not what you play, but what you are. Chloe. Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir. Caes.
The Poetaster
Chapter VII · Chapter 7
Chapter 7 of The Poetaster is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
Caes.
I
ask
not
what
you
play,
but
what
you
are.
Chloe.
Your
citizen
and
jeweller's
wife,
sir.
Caes.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Poetaster
Chapter VII · Chapter 7
Chapter 7 of The Poetaster is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/75 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
Caes.
Line 2
I
ask
not
what
you
play,
but
what
you
are.
/aɪ æsk nɑːt wʌt juː pleɪ bʌt wʌt juː ɑːr/
Line 3
Chloe.
Line 4
Your
citizen
and
jeweller's
wife,
sir.
Line 5
Caes.
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.
ask
verb
US /æsk/
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “I ask not what you play, but what you are.”
citizen
noun
US /ˈsɪtəzən/
a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
From this reading “Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.”
play
verb
US /pleɪ/
participate in games or sport
From this reading “I ask not what you play, but what you are.”
sir
noun
US /sɜːr/
term of address for a man
From this reading “Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.”
wife
noun
US /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.”
All words in this reading · 16
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.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I ask not what you play, but what you are.
askverbUS /æsk/
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I ask not what you play, but what you are.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I ask not what you play, but what you are.
Caes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Caes.
Chloe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Chloe.
citizennounUS /ˈsɪtəzən/
a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
From this reading Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I ask not what you play, but what you are.
jeweller's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I ask not what you play, but what you are.
playverbUS /pleɪ/
participate in games or sport
From this reading I ask not what you play, but what you are.
sirnounUS /sɜːr/
term of address for a man
From this reading Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I ask not what you play, but what you are.
wifenounUS /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I ask not what you play, but what you are.
YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Your citizen and jeweller's wife, sir.
Chapter 7 of The Poetaster by Ben Jonson holds 378 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 7 of The Poetaster contain?
Chapter 7 holds 378 sentences of The Poetaster, unabridged, divided into 76 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Poetaster by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 378 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 7 of The Poetaster?
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 7 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 3491 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 290 minutes of reading across 699 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.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Poetaster to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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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.