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The silver blade
The silver blade

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The silver blade is here in full — 9 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/1 · 9 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 9
CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.
_This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .
. some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The silver blade

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The silver blade is here in full — 9 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/1 · 9 reading units · Lines 1–9

Line 1
CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
Line 2
One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
Line 3
And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.
Line 4
_This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .
Line 5
Line 6
Line 7
Line 8
Line 9
. some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.
/sʌm ˈɔːrəkəl mʌst ˈrektəfaɪ ˈaʊər ˈnɑːlədʒ ðə ˈtempəst/

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.

climes noun US /klaɪmz/

plural of “clime” — the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time

From this reading “CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

cloudless adjective US /ˈklaʊdləs/

free from clouds

From this reading “CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

denies verb US /dɪˈnaɪz/

third-person singular of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading “CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

impaired adjective US /ˌɪmˈperd/

diminished in strength, quality, or utility

From this reading “One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.”

lightens verb US /ˈlaɪtənz/

third-person singular of “lighten” — make more cheerful

From this reading “One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.”

mellowed adjective US /ˈmeloʊd/

having a full and pleasing flavor through proper aging

From this reading “CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

rectify verb US /ˈrektəfaɪ/

math: determine the length of

From this reading “. some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.”

tress noun US /tres/

a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair

From this reading “One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.”

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.

starry skies adjective + noun counted as “starry sky”

In this reading “CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

at peace preposition + noun

dead

In this reading “And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.”

All words in this reading · 107

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading _This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .

aspectnounUS /ˈæspekt/

a distinct feature or element in a problem

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

brownounUS /braʊ/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

BYRONnounUS /ˈbaɪrən/

English romantic poet notorious for his rebellious and unconventional lifestyle (1788-1824)

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

CHARLOTTEnounUS /ˈʃɑːrlət/

the largest city in North Carolina; located in south central North Carolina

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

cheeknounUS /tʃiːk/

either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

climesnounUS /klaɪmz/

plural of “clime” — the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

cloudlessadjectiveUS /ˈklaʊdləs/

free from clouds

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

deniesverbUS /dɪˈnaɪz/

third-person singular of “deny” — declare untrue; contradict

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

dwelling-place

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

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

e'eradverb

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading _This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .

eloquentadjectiveUS /ˈeləkwənt/

expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

FAIRCHILD

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

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

gaudyadjectiveUS /ˈɡɔːdi/

tastelessly showy

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

glownounUS /ɡloʊ/

an alert and refreshed state

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

goodnessnounUS /ˈɡʊdnəs/

that which is pleasing or valuable or useful

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

gracenounUS /ɡreɪs/

(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

heavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

How

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

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

impairedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈperd/

diminished in strength, quality, or utility

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

innocentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnəsənt/

free from evil or guilt

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading . some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

lightensverbUS /ˈlaɪtənz/

third-person singular of “lighten” — make more cheerful

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

mazenounUS /meɪz/

complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost

From this reading _This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .

MeetsnounUS /miːts/

plural of “meet” — a meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

mellowedadjectiveUS /ˈmeloʊd/

having a full and pleasing flavor through proper aging

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading _This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

Mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading . some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.

namelessadjectiveUS /ˈneɪm.ləs/

Having no name, or having a name that is kept secret or unknown.

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

o'eradverb

throughout a period of time

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

OrconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

oraclenounUS /ˈɔːrəkəl/

an authoritative person who divines the future

From this reading . some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading . some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.

peacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

ravenverbUS /ˈreɪvən/

obtain or seize by violence

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

raynounUS /reɪ/

a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

rectifyverbUS /ˈrektəfaɪ/

math: determine the length of

From this reading . some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.

serenelyadverbUS /sərˈiːnəli/

in a peacefully serene manner

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

shadenounUS /ʃeɪd/

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

skiesnounUS /skaɪz/

plural of “sky” — the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

smilesnounUS /smaɪlz/

plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

softlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːftli/

with low volume

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading . some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

starryadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːriː/

abounding with or resembling stars

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading _This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

TEMPESTnounUS /ˈtempəst/

a violent commotion or disturbance

From this reading . some oracle Must rectify our knowledge._ --THE TEMPEST.

tenderadjectiveUS /ˈtendər/

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

that's

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

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading _This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

ThusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

tintsnounUS /tɪnts/

plural of “tint” — a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

tressnounUS /tres/

a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

trodverbUS /trɑːd/

inflected form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading _This is as strange a maze as e'er men trod; .

walksnounUS /wɔːks/

plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

wavesnounUS /weɪvz/

plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens o'er her face, Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading CHARLOTTE FAIRCHILD _She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that's best of dark and bright Meets in her aspect and her eyes, Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

winverbUS /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading And on that cheek and o'er that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent,-- A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent._ --BYRON.

Chapter 14 of The silver blade by Charles Edmonds Walk holds 9 sentences, grouped into 2 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 14 of The silver blade contain?

Chapter 14 holds 9 sentences of The silver blade, unabridged, divided into 2 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The silver blade by Charles Edmonds Walk exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 9 sentences, grouped into 2 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 14 of The silver blade?

Work through the 2 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 2 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 silver blade

Common questions about reading The silver blade by Charles Edmonds Walk on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The silver blade?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The silver blade is used?

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

How long does The silver blade take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The silver blade section by section

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Vocabulary met early in The silver blade

Words and structures a reader meets early in The silver blade, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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