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The Task, and Other Poems
The Task, and Other Poems

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Task, and Other Poems is here in full — 252 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
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THE TIMEPIECE.
Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!
My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.
There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.
The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Task, and Other Poems

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Task, and Other Poems is here in full — 252 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE TIMEPIECE.
/ðə ˈtaɪmpiːs/
Line 2
Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!
Line 3
My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.
/maɪ iːr ɪz peɪnd maɪ soʊl ɪz sɪk wɪð ˈevəri deɪz riˈpɔːrt ʌv rɔːŋ ənd ˈaʊtreɪdʒ wɪð wɪtʃ ɜːrθ ɪz fɪld/
Line 4
There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.
/ðer ɪz noʊ fleʃ ɪn mænz ˈɑːbdərət hɑːrt ɪt dʌz nɑːt fiːl fɔːr mæn/
Line 5
The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.
/ðə ˈnætʃərəl bɑːnd ʌv ˈbrʌðərhʊd ɪz ˈsevərd æz ðə flæks ðæt fɔːlz əˈsʌndər æt ðə tʌtʃ ʌv ˈfaɪər/

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.

asunder adjective US /əˈsʌndər/

widely separated especially in space

From this reading “The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.”

brotherhood noun US /ˈbrʌðərhʊd/

the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings

From this reading “The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.”

deceit noun US /dɪˈsiːt/

The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.

From this reading “Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!”

flax noun US /flæks/

fiber of the flax plant that is made into thread and woven into linen fabric

From this reading “The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.”

obdurate adjective US /ˈɑːbdərət/

stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

From this reading “There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.”

severed adjective US /ˈsevərd/

detached by cutting

From this reading “The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.”

timepiece noun US /ˈtaɪmpiːs/

a measuring instrument or device for keeping time

From this reading “THE TIMEPIECE.”

unsuccessful adjective US /ˌʌnsəkˈsesfəl/

not successful; having failed or having an unfavorable outcome

From this reading “Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!”

All words in this reading · 66

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 Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

asunderadjectiveUS /əˈsʌndər/

widely separated especially in space

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

bondnounUS /bɑːnd/

an electrical force linking atoms

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

boundlessadjectiveUS /ˈbaʊndləs/

seemingly boundless in amount, number, degree, or especially extent

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

brotherhoodnounUS /ˈbrʌðərhʊd/

the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

contiguitynoun

the attribute of being so near as to be touching

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

day'snounUS /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

deceitnounUS /dɪˈsiːt/

The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

earnounUS /iːr/

the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

fallsnounUS /fɔːlz/

the petals or sepals of a flower that bend downward (especially the outer perianth of an iris)

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

flaxnounUS /flæks/

fiber of the flax plant that is made into thread and woven into linen fabric

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

fleshnounUS /fleʃ/

the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

lodgeverbUS /lɑːdʒ/

be a lodger; stay temporarily

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

Mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

naturaladjectiveUS /ˈnætʃərəl/

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

obdurateadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbdərət/

stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

oppressionnounUS /əˈpreʃən/

the act of subjugating by cruelty

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

outragenounUS /ˈaʊtreɪdʒ/

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

painedadjectiveUS /peɪnd/

emotionally hurt or upset or annoyed

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

reportverbUS /riˈpɔːrt/

to give an account or representation of in words

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

rumournounUS /ˈruːmər/

gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

severedadjectiveUS /ˈsevərd/

detached by cutting

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

shadenounUS /ʃeɪd/

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

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

sickadjectiveUS /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

successfuladjectiveUS /səkˈsesfəl/

having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE TIMEPIECE.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man.

TIMEPIECEnounUS /ˈtaɪmpiːs/

a measuring instrument or device for keeping time

From this reading THE TIMEPIECE.

touchverbUS /tʌtʃ/

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading The natural bond Of brotherhood is severed as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.

unsuccessfuladjectiveUS /ˌʌnsəkˈsesfəl/

not successful; having failed or having an unfavorable outcome

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

vastadjectiveUS /væst/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumour of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading My ear is pained, My soul is sick with every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled.

Chapter 2 of The Task, and Other Poems by William Cowper holds 252 sentences, grouped into 51 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 2 of The Task, and Other Poems contain?

Chapter 2 holds 252 sentences of The Task, and Other Poems, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Task, and Other Poems by William Cowper exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 252 sentences, grouped into 51 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 2 of The Task, and Other Poems?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Task, and Other Poems

Common questions about reading The Task, and Other Poems by William Cowper on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Task, and Other Poems?

Yes. All 1483 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3698 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Task, and Other Poems is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3698, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Task, and Other Poems take to read?

About 123 minutes of reading across 297 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Task, and Other Poems section by section

How to work through The Task, and Other Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Task, and Other Poems to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Task, and Other Poems

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Task, and Other Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

History
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Task, and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Following
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Task, and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Production
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Task, and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Briefly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Task, and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.