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The star dreamer: A romance
The star dreamer: A romance

Chapter IV · Back at a New Door of Life

Chapter IV of The star dreamer: A romance, “Back at a New Door of Life,” is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The star dreamer: A romance
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!
BYRON (_Doge of Venice_).
Eh?” said the old man.
He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.
Father?”
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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 star dreamer: A romance

Chapter IV · Back at a New Door of Life

Chapter IV of The star dreamer: A romance, “Back at a New Door of Life,” is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!
Line 2
BYRON (_Doge of Venice_).
/ˈbaɪrən doʊdʒ ʌv ˈvenəs/
Line 3
Eh?” said the old man.
Line 4
He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.
Line 5
Father?”
/ˈfɑːðər/

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.

byron noun US /ˈbaɪrən/

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

From this reading “—BYRON (_Doge of Venice_).”

comely adjective US /ˈkʌmli/

according with custom or propriety

From this reading “He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.”

Doge noun US /doʊdʒ/

formerly the chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa

gaze noun US /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

From this reading “He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.”

Joy's noun US /dʒɔɪz/

possessive form of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness

recollection noun US /ˌrekəˈlekʃən/

the ability to recall past occurrences

From this reading “Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!”

senses noun US /ˈsensɪz/

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading “He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.”

Venice noun US /ˈvenəs/

the provincial capital of Veneto; built on 118 islands within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice; has canals instead of streets; one of Italy's major ports and a famous tourist attraction

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.

once more adverb + adjective

anew

In this reading “He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.”

stared at verb + particle counted as “stare at”

In this reading “He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.”

old man adjective + noun

a man who is very old

In this reading ““Eh?” said the old man.”

for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.”

own senses verb + noun counted as “own sens”

In this reading “He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

BYRONnounUS /ˈbaɪrən/

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

From this reading —BYRON (_Doge of Venice_).

comelyadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmli/

according with custom or propriety

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

DogenounUS /doʊdʒ/

formerly the chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa

From this reading —BYRON (_Doge of Venice_).

Eh

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

From this reading “Eh?” said the old man.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading “Father?”

fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

freakishadjective

changeable

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

Joy'snounUS /dʒɔɪz/

possessive form of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading “Eh?” said the old man.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading —BYRON (_Doge of Venice_).

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading “Eh?” said the old man.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

recollectionnounUS /ˌrekəˈlekʃən/

the ability to recall past occurrences

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Eh?” said the old man.

sensesnounUS /ˈsensɪz/

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

sorrow's

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

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Eh?” said the old man.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

VenicenounUS /ˈvenəs/

the provincial capital of Veneto; built on 118 islands within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice; has canals instead of streets; one of Italy's major ports and a famous tourist attraction

From this reading —BYRON (_Doge of Venice_).

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading He fixed his gaze once more upon his daughter, and stared at her for a moment as if her comely presence were but some freakish play of his own senses.

WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Joy’s recollection is no longer joy While sorrow’s memory is sorrow still!

Chapter 4 of The star dreamer: A romance by Agnes Castle holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 star dreamer: A romance contain?

Chapter 4 holds 204 sentences of The star dreamer: A romance, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The star dreamer: A romance by Agnes Castle exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 star dreamer: A romance?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 star dreamer: A romance

Common questions about reading The star dreamer: A romance by Agnes Castle on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The star dreamer: A romance?

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

Which edition of The star dreamer: A romance is used?

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

How long does The star dreamer: A romance take to read?

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

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Vocabulary met early in The star dreamer: A romance

Words and structures a reader meets early in The star dreamer: A romance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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