Chapter 3 of The Poor Man is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Poor Man is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“After all, I am host. It was because of me that they all came. It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.” “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie. “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
Chapter 3 of The Poor Man is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
for the reason that
From this reading “It was because of me that they all came.”
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading ““Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.”
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading ““If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.””
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading ““Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.”
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading ““After all, I am host.”
a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading ““Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.”
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading “It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.””
plural of “rein” — one of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse
From this reading “It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.””
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.
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 “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
later than; following
From this reading “After all, I am host.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading “After all, I am host.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “After all, I am host.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
for the reason that
From this reading It was because of me that they all came.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was because of me that they all came.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading “After all, I am host.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “After all, I am host.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was because of me that they all came.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was because of me that they all came.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was because of me that they all came.
and nothing more
From this reading It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.”
a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.”
plural of “rein” — one of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse
From this reading It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.”
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was because of me that they all came.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was because of me that they all came.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was because of me that they all came.
which person or people
From this reading “If so, you must hand it to me folded, so that I shall never know who it’s by.”
but in spite of that
From this reading It is only that I haven’t pulled the reins yet.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Did you bring a poem for us to hear?” he asked Melsie.
Chapter 3 of The Poor Man by Stella Benson holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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.
Chapter 3 holds 419 sentences of The Poor Man, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Poor Man by Stella Benson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Poor Man by Stella Benson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4660 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67195 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67195, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 388 minutes of reading across 932 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Poor Man section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Poor Man 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 Poor Man, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
