Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Spring Song is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
By the same Writer. THE BRACKNELS. FOLLOWING DARKNESS. THE GENTLE LOVER. AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.
The Spring Song
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Spring Song is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
By
the
same
Writer.
THE
BRACKNELS.
FOLLOWING
DARKNESS.
THE
GENTLE
LOVER.
AT
THE
DOOR
OF
THE
GATE.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Spring Song
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Spring Song is here in full — 84 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
By
the
same
Writer.
/baɪ ðə seɪm ˈraɪtər/
Line 2
THE
BRACKNELS.
Line 3
FOLLOWING
DARKNESS.
/ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ ˈdɑːrknəs/
Line 4
THE
GENTLE
LOVER.
/ðə ˈdʒentəl ˈlʌvər/
Line 5
AT
THE
DOOR
OF
THE
GATE.
/æt ðə dɔːr ʌv ðə ɡeɪt/
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.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading “FOLLOWING DARKNESS.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading “AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.”
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading “FOLLOWING DARKNESS.”
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading “AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.”
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading “THE GENTLE LOVER.”
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading “THE GENTLE LOVER.”
Identical; not different.
From this reading “By the same Writer.”
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “By the same Writer.”
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.
AT THE DOOR
preposition + article + noun
counted as “at … door”
In this reading “AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.”
All words in this reading · 13
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.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.
BRACKNELS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BRACKNELS.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By the same Writer.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading FOLLOWING DARKNESS.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading FOLLOWING DARKNESS.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading THE GENTLE LOVER.
a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading THE GENTLE LOVER.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE.
Identical; not different.
From this reading By the same Writer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading By the same Writer.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading By the same Writer.
Chapter 1 of The Spring Song by Forrest Reid holds 84 sentences, grouped into 17 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 1 of The Spring Song contain?
Chapter 1 holds 84 sentences of The Spring Song, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Spring Song by Forrest Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 84 sentences, grouped into 17 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 Spring Song?
Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 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 Spring Song
Common questions about reading The Spring Song by Forrest Reid on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Spring Song?
Yes. All 4466 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76205 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Spring Song is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #76205, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Spring Song take to read?
About 372 minutes of reading across 894 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Spring Song section by section
How to work through The Spring Song section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Spring Song to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Spring Song
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Spring Song, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Writer
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spring Song; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Bracknels
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spring Song; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Following
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spring Song; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Darkness
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spring Song; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.