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The Wings of Icarus
The Wings of Icarus

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of The Wings of Icarus is here in full — 25 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Wings of Icarus
Context Illustration Reading 1/5 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
GRAYSMILL, December 29th.
You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.
Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.
I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.
But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.
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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 XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of The Wings of Icarus is here in full — 25 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
GRAYSMILL, December 29th.
Line 2
You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.
/juː mʌst hiːr frʌm miː wʌns əˈɡen ðɪs jɪr maɪ ˈkɑːnstəns/
Line 3
Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.
/oʊ ˈdɪrəst ˈdɪrəst ɪt hæz ˈoʊnli kʌm tuː miː ʌv leɪt wen maɪ lʌv fɔːr juː hæz ʃoʊn ˈdɪmli kəmˈperd tuː əˈnʌðər wʌt ɪt ɪz wɜːrθ tuː miː jɔːr lʌv/
Line 4
I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.
Line 5
But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.
/bʌt wʌt aɪ miːn ɪz ðɪs juː hæv bɪn wʌn lɔːŋ dʒɔɪ tuː miː ə sʌn ðæt hæz hæd noʊ ˈsetɪŋ/

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.

compared verb US /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading “Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.”

Constance noun US /ˈkɑːnstəns/

a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River

From this reading “You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.”

dearest noun US /ˈdɪrəst/

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

From this reading “Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.”

December noun US /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading “GRAYSMILL, December 29th.”

dimly adverb US /ˈdɪmli/

in a dim indistinct manner

From this reading “Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.”

entangled adjective US /enˈtæŋɡəld/

deeply involved especially in something complicated

From this reading “I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.”

hopeless adjective US /ˈhoʊpləs/

without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success

From this reading “I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.”

setting noun US /ˈsetɪŋ/

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading “But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

29th

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

From this reading GRAYSMILL, December 29th.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

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 I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

cannot

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

From this reading I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

ConstancenounUS /ˈkɑːnstəns/

a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

dearestnounUS /ˈdɪrəst/

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading GRAYSMILL, December 29th.

dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/

in a dim indistinct manner

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

entangledadjectiveUS /enˈtæŋɡəld/

deeply involved especially in something complicated

From this reading I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.

expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

From this reading I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

GRAYSMILL

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

From this reading GRAYSMILL, December 29th.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

hopelessadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpləs/

without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success

From this reading I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

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 But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading I cannot express myself; I am all entangled, hopeless.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

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

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

settingnounUS /ˈsetɪŋ/

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

shoneverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

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

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But what I mean is this: you have been one long joy to me, a sun that has had no setting.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You must hear from me once again this year, my Constance.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Oh, dearest, dearest, it has only come to me of late, when my love for you has shone dimly compared to another, what it is worth to me, your love.

Chapter 22 of The Wings of Icarus by Laurence Alma-Tadema holds 25 sentences, grouped into 5 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 22 of The Wings of Icarus contain?

Chapter 22 holds 25 sentences of The Wings of Icarus, unabridged, divided into 5 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of The Wings of Icarus by Laurence Alma-Tadema exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 25 sentences, grouped into 5 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 22 of The Wings of Icarus?

Work through the 5 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 5 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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.