Chapter 1 of The Tempers is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Tempers is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Archer is wake! The Swan is flying! Gold against blue An Arrow is lying. There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow. The Bears are abroad!
Chapter 1 of The Tempers is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading “The Bears are abroad!”
a person who is expert in the use of a bow and arrow
From this reading “The Archer is wake!”
a mark to indicate a direction or relation
From this reading “Gold against blue An Arrow is lying.”
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading “The Bears are abroad!”
moving swiftly
From this reading “The Swan is flying!”
the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport
From this reading “There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.”
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
From this reading “The Swan is flying!”
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading “The Archer is wake!”
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.
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.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading The Bears are abroad!
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Gold against blue An Arrow is lying.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Gold against blue An Arrow is lying.
a person who is expert in the use of a bow and arrow
From this reading The Archer is wake!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Bears are abroad!
a mark to indicate a direction or relation
From this reading Gold against blue An Arrow is lying.
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading The Bears are abroad!
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Gold against blue An Arrow is lying.
moving swiftly
From this reading The Swan is flying!
coins made of gold
From this reading Gold against blue An Arrow is lying.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.
the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport
From this reading There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Archer is wake!
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Gold against blue An Arrow is lying.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
From this reading The Swan is flying!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Archer is wake!
in or at that place or location
From this reading There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.
up to a particular time
From this reading There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is hunting in heaven-- Sleep safe till to-morrow.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading The Archer is wake!
Chapter 1 of The Tempers by William Carlos Williams holds 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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.
Chapter 1 holds 159 sentences of The Tempers, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Tempers by William Carlos Williams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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.
Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 32 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.
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.
Common questions about reading The Tempers by William Carlos Williams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 159 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31878 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31878, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 13 minutes of reading across 32 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Tempers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Tempers to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Tempers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
