Chapter IX
Chapter 9
Chapter 9 of The Poetaster is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Cris. Snarling gusts------quaking custard. Hor. How now, Crispinus? Cris.
The Poetaster
Chapter IX · Chapter 9
Chapter 9 of The Poetaster is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
Cris.
Snarling
gusts------quaking
custard.
Hor.
How
now,
Crispinus?
Cris.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Poetaster
Chapter IX · Chapter 9
Chapter 9 of The Poetaster is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
Cris.
Line 2
Snarling
gusts------quaking
custard.
Line 3
Hor.
Line 4
How
now,
Crispinus?
Line 5
Cris.
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.
custard
noun
US /ˈkʌstərd/
sweetened mixture of milk and eggs baked or boiled or frozen
From this reading “Snarling gusts------quaking custard.”
gusts
noun
US /ɡʌsts/
plural of “gust” — a strong current of air
From this reading “Snarling gusts------quaking custard.”
quaking
verb
US /ˈkweɪkɪŋ/
-ing form of “quake” — shake with fast, tremulous movements
From this reading “Snarling gusts------quaking custard.”
Snarling
verb
US /ˈsnɑːrlɪŋ/
-ing form of “snarl” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading “Snarling gusts------quaking custard.”
All words in this reading · 9
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.
Cris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cris.
Crispinus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How now, Crispinus?
custardnounUS /ˈkʌstərd/
sweetened mixture of milk and eggs baked or boiled or frozen
From this reading Snarling gusts------quaking custard.
gustsnounUS /ɡʌsts/
plural of “gust” — a strong current of air
From this reading Snarling gusts------quaking custard.
Hor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hor.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How now, Crispinus?
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading How now, Crispinus?
quakingverbUS /ˈkweɪkɪŋ/
-ing form of “quake” — shake with fast, tremulous movements
From this reading Snarling gusts------quaking custard.
SnarlingverbUS /ˈsnɑːrlɪŋ/
-ing form of “snarl” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading Snarling gusts------quaking custard.
Chapter 9 of The Poetaster by Ben Jonson holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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.
What does chapter 9 of The Poetaster contain?
Chapter 9 holds 401 sentences of The Poetaster, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Poetaster by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 9 of The Poetaster?
Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 9 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 4319 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, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Poetaster take to read?
About 359 minutes of reading across 864 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 11 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.