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The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)
The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) is here in full — 12 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Alexander Pope • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)
Context Illustration Reading 1/2 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.
1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.
9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.
19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.
26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) is here in full — 12 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/2 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.
Line 2
1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.
Line 3
9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.
Line 4
19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.
Line 5
26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

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.

causes noun US /ˈkɑːzəz/

plural of “cause” — events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading “19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
critics noun US /ˈkrɪtɪks/

plural of “critic” — a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art

From this reading “19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
education noun US /ˌedʒəˈkeɪʃən/

the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill

From this reading “9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
introduction noun US /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of beginning something new

From this reading “INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
limits noun US /ˈlɪməts/

plural of “limit” — the greatest possible degree of something

From this reading “26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
multitude noun US /ˈmʌltətuːd/

a large indefinite number

From this reading “19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rare adjective US /rer/

not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness

From this reading “1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spoiled adjective US /spɔɪld/

having the character or disposition harmed by pampering or oversolicitous attention

From this reading “9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

true genius adjective + noun

In this reading “1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.”

292 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 54

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.

1

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

From this reading 1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.

Pending verification
18

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

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

Pending verification
19

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

From this reading 19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.

Pending verification
25

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

From this reading 19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.

Pending verification
26

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

From this reading 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

Pending verification
45

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

From this reading 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

Pending verification
9

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

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading 1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
causesnounUS /ˈkɑːzəz/

plural of “cause” — events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading 19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
criticsnounUS /ˈkrɪtɪks/

plural of “critic” — a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art

From this reading 19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dangerousadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/

involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
educationnounUS /ˌedʒəˈkeɪʃən/

the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
falseadjectiveUS /fɔːls/

not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faultnounUS /fɔːlt/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading 1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
geniusnounUS /ˈdʒiːnjəs/

someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading 1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
INTRODUCTIONnounUS /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of beginning something new

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
limitsnounUS /ˈlɪməts/

plural of “limit” — the greatest possible degree of something

From this reading 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
multitudenounUS /ˈmʌltətuːd/

a large indefinite number

From this reading 19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rareadjectiveUS /rer/

not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness

From this reading 1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spoiledadjectiveUS /spɔɪld/

having the character or disposition harmed by pampering or oversolicitous attention

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
studynounUS /ˈstʌdi/

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tasteverbUS /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading 1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.

Velmora curated lexicon
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading 19 to 25--The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading 1--That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ver

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

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

Pending verification
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading 26 to 45--That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading 9 to 18--That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading INTRODUCTION: That it is as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 2 of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) by Alexander Pope holds 12 sentences, grouped into 3 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 2 of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) contain?

Chapter 2 holds 12 sentences of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10), unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) by Alexander Pope exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 12 sentences, grouped into 3 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 2 of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)?

Work through the 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 3 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)

Common questions about reading The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) by Alexander Pope on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)?

Yes. All 10605 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43271 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43271, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2121 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) section by section

How to work through The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10) 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 Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Unicode
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Encoding
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Apostrophes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quotation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.