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The Shadow Line: A Confession

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Shadow Line: A Confession is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Joseph Conrad • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Shadow Line: A Confession

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

--BAUDELAIRE Only the young have such moments.

I don’t mean the very young.

No. The very young have, properly speaking, no moments.

It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/43

The Shadow Line: A Confession

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Shadow Line: A Confession is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

Line 2

--BAUDELAIRE Only the young have such moments.

Line 3

I don’t mean the very young.

Line 4

No. The very young have, properly speaking, no moments.

Line 5

It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

All words in this reading · 55

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.

advance

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

All

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

And

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

BAUDELAIRE

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

From this reading --BAUDELAIRE Only the young have such moments.

beautiful

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

Borys

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

calme

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

continuity

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

Crossed

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

D'autre

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

days

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

De

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

desespoir

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

don't

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

From this reading I don’t mean the very young.

Early

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

fois

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

Generation

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

grand

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From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

Have

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

Himself

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

hope

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

I

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

From this reading I don’t mean the very young.

In

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

introspection

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

is

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

It

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

its

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

knows

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

Like

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

live

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

Love

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

mean

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

From this reading I don’t mean the very young.

miroir

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

moments

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

From this reading --BAUDELAIRE Only the young have such moments.

mon

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

No

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

From this reading No. The very young have, properly speaking, no moments.

Of

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

Only

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

From this reading --BAUDELAIRE Only the young have such moments.

Others

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

pauses

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

plat

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

privilege

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

properly

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

From this reading No. The very young have, properly speaking, no moments.

Shadow-Line

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

speaking

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

From this reading No. The very young have, properly speaking, no moments.

such

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

From this reading --BAUDELAIRE Only the young have such moments.

The

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

Their

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

To

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

very

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

From this reading I don’t mean the very young.

which

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

From this reading It is the privilege of early youth to live in advance of its days in all the beautiful continuity of hope which knows no pauses and no introspection.

Who

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

With

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

young

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

From this reading --BAUDELAIRE Only the young have such moments.

Youth

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

From this reading To Borys And All Others Who, Like Himself, Have Crossed In Early Youth The Shadow-Line Of Their Generation With Love --_D’autre fois, calme plat, grand miroir De mon desespoir_.

Chapter 1 of The Shadow Line: A Confession by Joseph Conrad holds 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 1 of The Shadow Line: A Confession contain?

Chapter 1 holds 217 sentences of The Shadow Line: A Confession, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Shadow Line: A Confession by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 1 of The Shadow Line: A Confession?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Shadow Line: A Confession

Common questions about reading The Shadow Line: A Confession by Joseph Conrad on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Shadow Line: A Confession?

Yes. All 3111 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #451 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Shadow Line: A Confession is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #451, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Shadow Line: A Confession take to read?

About 259 minutes of reading across 623 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Shadow Line: A Confession section by section

How to work through The Shadow Line: A Confession section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Shadow Line: A Confession 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 Shadow Line: A Confession

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Shadow Line: A Confession, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Borys: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow Line: A Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Others: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow Line: A Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Himself: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow Line: A Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crossed: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow Line: A Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.