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The Wings of Icarus
The Wings of Icarus

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Wings of Icarus is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Wings of Icarus
Context Illustration Reading 1/10 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
GRAYSMILL, August 7th.
Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.
It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.
This time I write at odds with myself.
It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.
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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 Wings of Icarus

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Wings of Icarus is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
GRAYSMILL, August 7th.
Line 2
Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.
/ˈdɪrəst aɪ roʊt juː sʌtʃ ə stɜːrn ˈletər ðə ˈʌðər deɪ ðæt aɪ fiːl aɪ mʌst raɪt əˈɡen bɪˈfɔːr ðə wiːk kʌmz raʊnd/
Line 3
It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.
/ɪt wɑːz ˈæftər ɔːl ə ˈsɪli ˈprɑːməs wiː meɪd iːtʃ ˈʌðər tuː raɪt dʒʌst wʌns ə wiːk ˈniːðər mɔːr nɔːr les/
Line 4
This time I write at odds with myself.
/ðɪs taɪm aɪ raɪt æt ɑːdz wɪð ˌmaɪˈself/
Line 5
It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

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.

August noun US /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading “GRAYSMILL, August 7th.”

baffles noun US /ˈbæfəlz/

plural of “baffle” — a flat plate that controls or directs the flow of fluid or energy

From this reading “It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.”

Dearest noun US /ˈdɪrəst/

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

From this reading “Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.”

Emilia noun US /əˈmiːliə/

tropical African herbs

From this reading “It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.”

Fletcher noun US /ˈfletʃər/

prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)

From this reading “It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.”

liar noun US /ˈlaɪər/

a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly

From this reading “It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.”

odds noun US /ɑːdz/

the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring

From this reading “This time I write at odds with myself.”

sincerity noun US /sɪnˈserəti/

an earnest and sincere feeling

From this reading “It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

7th

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

From this reading GRAYSMILL, August 7th.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

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 It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading This time I write at odds with myself.

AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading GRAYSMILL, August 7th.

bafflesnounUS /ˈbæfəlz/

plural of “baffle” — a flat plate that controls or directs the flow of fluid or energy

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

completelyadverbUS /kəmˈpliːtli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

DearestnounUS /ˈdɪrəst/

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

EmilianounUS /əˈmiːliə/

tropical African herbs

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

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

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

FletchernounUS /ˈfletʃər/

prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

GRAYSMILL

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

From this reading GRAYSMILL, August 7th.

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

isn't

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

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

It's

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

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

liarnounUS /ˈlaɪər/

a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading This time I write at odds with myself.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

oddsnounUS /ɑːdz/

the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring

From this reading This time I write at odds with myself.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

sillyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪli/

ludicrous, foolish

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

sinceritynounUS /sɪnˈserəti/

an earnest and sincere feeling

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/

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

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This time I write at odds with myself.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading This time I write at odds with myself.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It was, after all, a silly promise we made each other to write just once a week, neither more nor less.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading It's all very well to talk about sincerity, it baffles one completely at times; there isn't a greater liar under the sun at this moment than Emilia Fletcher.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This time I write at odds with myself.

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Dearest, I wrote you such a stern letter the other day, that I feel I must write again before the week comes round.

Chapter 5 of The Wings of Icarus by Laurence Alma-Tadema holds 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 5 of The Wings of Icarus contain?

Chapter 5 holds 54 sentences of The Wings of Icarus, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Wings of Icarus by Laurence Alma-Tadema exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 Wings of Icarus?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 Wings of Icarus

Common questions about reading The Wings of Icarus by Laurence Alma-Tadema on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Wings of Icarus?

Yes. All 2158 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17255 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Wings of Icarus is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17255, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Wings of Icarus take to read?

About 179 minutes of reading across 432 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Wings of Icarus section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Wings of Icarus 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 Wings of Icarus

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

Fletcher's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wings of Icarus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Graysmill
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wings of Icarus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beloved
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wings of Icarus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Constance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wings of Icarus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.