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The Poetical Works of William Collins
The Poetical Works of William Collins

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Poetical Works of William Collins is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Collins • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Poetical Works of William Collins
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
21.
Each lovely scene shall thee restore;
23.
Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.
Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!
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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 Poetical Works of William Collins

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Poetical Works of William Collins is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
21.
Line 2
Each lovely scene shall thee restore;
/iːtʃ ˈlʌvli siːn ʃæl ðiː rɪˈstɔːr/
Line 3
23.
Line 4
Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.
Line 5
Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

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.

awe noun US /ɑː/

an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration

From this reading “Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cake noun US /keɪk/

a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)

From this reading “Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prize noun US /praɪz/

something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery

From this reading “Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
profane adjective US /proʊˈfeɪn/

characterized by profanity or cursing

From this reading “Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
restore verb US /rɪˈstɔːr/

return to its original or usable and functioning condition

From this reading “Each lovely scene shall thee restore;”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
theft noun US /θeft/

the act of taking something from someone unlawfully

From this reading “Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
verses noun US /ˈvɜːrsəz/

plural of “verse” — literature in metrical form

From this reading “Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vulgar adjective US /ˈvʌlɡər/

lacking refinement or cultivation or taste

From this reading “Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

lovely scene adjective + noun

In this reading “Each lovely scene shall thee restore;”

242 times in 426,211 chapters
hid from verb + particle counted as “hide from”

In this reading “Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!”

3,322 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 59

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.

21

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

From this reading 21.

Pending verification
23

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

From this reading 23.

Pending verification
AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awenounUS /ɑː/

an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BelovedadjectiveUS /bɪˈlʌvd/

dearly loved

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BRIDE-CAKE

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

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Pending verification
BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cakenounUS /keɪk/

a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
charmnounUS /tʃɑːrm/

attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CONTAINEDadjectiveUS /kənˈteɪnd/

gotten under control

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dareverbUS /der/

take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Each lovely scene shall thee restore;

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
forbearverb

refrain from doing

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GIVENadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hallow'd

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

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Pending verification
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 Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hidverbUS /hɪd/

inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LADYnounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lovelyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvli/

appealing to the emotions as well as the eye

From this reading Each lovely scene shall thee restore;

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NorconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PAPERnounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PIECEnounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pity's

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

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Pending verification
prizenounUS /praɪz/

something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
profaneadjectiveUS /proʊˈfeɪn/

characterized by profanity or cursing

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
restoreverbUS /rɪˈstɔːr/

return to its original or usable and functioning condition

From this reading Each lovely scene shall thee restore;

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sacredadjectiveUS /ˈseɪkrəd/

concerned with religion or religious purposes

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading Each lovely scene shall thee restore;

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Each lovely scene shall thee restore;

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading Each lovely scene shall thee restore;

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theftnounUS /θeft/

the act of taking something from someone unlawfully

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VERSESnounUS /ˈvɜːrsəz/

plural of “verse” — literature in metrical form

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
virtue's

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

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Pending verification
vulgaradjectiveUS /ˈvʌlɡər/

lacking refinement or cultivation or taste

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WHICHpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WRITTENadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading Beloved till life could charm no more, VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YepronounUS /jiː/

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

From this reading Ye curious hands, that, hid from vulgar eyes, By search profane shall find this hallow'd cake, With virtue's awe forbear the sacred prize, Nor dare a theft, for love and pity's sake!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 4 of The Poetical Works of William Collins by William Collins holds 395 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 of The Poetical Works of William Collins contain?

Chapter 4 holds 395 sentences of The Poetical Works of William Collins, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Poetical Works of William Collins by William Collins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 395 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 of The Poetical Works of William Collins?

Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 79 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Poetical Works of William Collins

Common questions about reading The Poetical Works of William Collins by William Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Poetical Works of William Collins?

Yes. All 1652 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29879 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Poetical Works of William Collins is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29879, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Poetical Works of William Collins take to read?

About 137 minutes of reading across 331 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Poetical Works of William Collins section by section

How to work through The Poetical Works of William Collins section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Poetical Works of William Collins

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Poetical Works of William Collins, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Poetical
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetical Works of William Collins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Works
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetical Works of William Collins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
William
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetical Works of William Collins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Collins
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poetical Works of William Collins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.