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The Vale of Cedars
The Vale of Cedars

Chapter XXXIV · Chapter 34

Chapter 34 of The Vale of Cedars is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!
Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!
"But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.
Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."
MRS.
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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 Vale of Cedars

Chapter XXXIV · Chapter 34

Chapter 34 of The Vale of Cedars is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!
Line 2
Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!
Line 3
"But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.
/bʌt woʊ fɔːr hɪm huː felt ðæt hɑːrt ɡroʊ stɪl wɪtʃ wɪð ɪts weɪt ʌv ˈæɡ.ə.ni hæd leɪn ˈbreɪkɪŋ ɑːn hɪz/
Line 4
Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."
Line 5
MRS.
/ˈmɪsɪz/

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.

chill noun US /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading “Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."”

fervent adjective US /ˈfɜːrvənt/

characterized by intense emotion

From this reading “"Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!”

heave verb US /hiːv/

utter a sound, as with obvious effort

From this reading “Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."”

hushed adjective US /hʌʃt/

in a softened tone

From this reading “Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."”

immortal adj US /ɪˈmɔːr.t̬əl/

Living forever; never dying or decaying. (Bất tử, trường tồn vĩnh cửu.)

From this reading “"Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!”

lain verb US /leɪn/

inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading “"But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.”

ne'er adverb US /ner/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."”

weaned adjective US /wiːnd/

freed of dependence on something especially (for mammals) mother's milk

From this reading “Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!”

All words in this reading · 78

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

agonynounUS /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/

Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

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 Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

beliefnounUS /bɪˈliːf/

any cognitive content held as true

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

bosomnounUS /ˈbʊzəm/

the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

BreakingnounUS /ˈbreɪkɪŋ/

the act of breaking something

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

BringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

chillnounUS /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

curdlingnoun

the process of forming semisolid lumps in a liquid

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

despairnounUS /dɪˈsper/

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

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

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

eyenounUS /aɪ/

the organ of sight

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

ferventadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrvənt/

characterized by intense emotion

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

heaveverbUS /hiːv/

utter a sound, as with obvious effort

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

HolynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

How

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

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

hushedadjectiveUS /hʌʃt/

in a softened tone

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

immortaladjUS /ɪˈmɔːr.t̬əl/

Living forever; never dying or decaying. (Bất tử, trường tồn vĩnh cửu.)

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

lainverbUS /leɪn/

inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

mortaladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrtəl/

subject to death

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading MRS.

ne'eradverbUS /ner/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

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

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

PressingnounUS /ˈpresɪŋ/

the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

ScarceadverbUS /skers/

only a very short time before

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Scarce could the mortal chill Of the hushed bosom, ne'er to heave again, And all the curdling silence round the eye, Bring home the stern belief that she could die."

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

thenceadverbUS /ðens/

from that place or that time

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

thinepronounUS /ðaɪn/

an old word for “yours”

From this reading "Oh! love, love, strong as death--from such an hour Pressing out joy by thine immortal power; Holy and fervent love!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

weanedadjectiveUS /wiːnd/

freed of dependence on something especially (for mammals) mother's milk

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

weightnounUS /weɪt/

the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

woenounUS /woʊ/

misery resulting from affliction

From this reading "But woe for him who felt that heart grow still Which with its weight of agony had lain Breaking on his.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Had earth but rest For thee and thine, this world were all too fair: How could we thence be weaned to die without despair!

Chapter 34 of The Vale of Cedars by Grace Aguilar holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 34 of The Vale of Cedars contain?

Chapter 34 holds 128 sentences of The Vale of Cedars, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 34 of The Vale of Cedars by Grace Aguilar exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 34 of The Vale of Cedars?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 34 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 34 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 Vale of Cedars

Common questions about reading The Vale of Cedars by Grace Aguilar on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Vale of Cedars?

Yes. All 3335 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12725 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Vale of Cedars is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12725, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Vale of Cedars take to read?

About 277 minutes of reading across 667 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Vale of Cedars section by section

How to work through The Vale of Cedars section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Vale of Cedars 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 Vale of Cedars

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Vale of Cedars, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Parted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vale of Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Closed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vale of Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Again
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vale of Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leaving
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vale of Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.