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The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems
The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.
I should say less.
Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.
Now there are two kinds."
"Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.
Line 2
I should say less.
/aɪ ʃʊd seɪ les/
Line 3
Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.
Line 4
Now there are two kinds."
/naʊ ðer ɑːr tuː kaɪndz/
Line 5
"Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.
/ˈmiːnɪŋ æz aɪ dɪˈvaɪn jɔːr frend ɪz ded aɪ ˈventʃərd/

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.

complacency noun US /kəmˈpleɪsənsi/

the feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself

From this reading “Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.”

divine adjective US /dɪˈvaɪn/

emanating from God

From this reading “"Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.”

kinds noun US /kaɪndz/

plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading “Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.”

meanwhile adverb US /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading “Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.”

ours pronoun US /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading “Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.”

somewhere adverb US /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading “Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.”

towns noun US /taʊnz/

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading “Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.”

ventured verb US /ˈventʃərd/

past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

From this reading “"Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

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 Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

complacencynounUS /kəmˈpleɪsənsi/

the feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading "Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.

divineadjectiveUS /dɪˈvaɪn/

emanating from God

From this reading "Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading "Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

haven't

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

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.

kindsnounUS /kaɪndz/

plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

legsnounUS /leɡz/

staying power

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

MeaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading "Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.

meanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

Norcross

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now there are two kinds."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

ourspronounUS /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading I should say less.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading I should say less.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

Tasker

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

townsnounUS /taʊnz/

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

venturedverbUS /ˈventʃərd/

past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

From this reading "Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

We've

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

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Whether or not, meanwhile, We've all two legs -- and as for that, we haven't -- There were three kinds of men where I was born: The good, the not so good, and Tasker Norcross.

WhetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Tasker Norcross "Whether all towns and all who live in them -- So long as they be somewhere in this world That we in our complacency call ours -- Are more or less the same, I leave to you.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Meaning, as I divine, Your friend is dead," I ventured.

Chapter 5 of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 5 of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems contain?

Chapter 5 holds 139 sentences of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 5 of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Three Taverns: A Book of Poems

Common questions about reading The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems?

Yes. All 1122 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1040 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1040, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems take to read?

About 93 minutes of reading across 225 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems section by section

How to work through The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Three Taverns: A Book of Poems

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Italicized
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Words
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Phrases
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Capitalized
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Three Taverns: A Book of Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.