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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
Addison
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
affiliation
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
age
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
AlthoughnounUS /ˈalthough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
amuse
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
antiquated
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
apprehended
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
becoming
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
belonged
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
birth
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
Byron
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
call
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
caught
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
century
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
check
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
Coleridge
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
crude
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜrmɪnd/
having firmly decided to do something
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
direction
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
early
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
enough
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
entertain
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
environment
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/
very enthusiastic or eager
From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
face
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From this reading His face was set towards the past, not towards the future.
faces
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
feverishness
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
food
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
forced
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
foreign
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
future
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From this reading His face was set towards the past, not towards the future.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
harrowed
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
imagination
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
induce
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
intellectual
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
Keats
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
lamenting
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
land
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
largely
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
letters
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
light
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
literary
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
literature
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
Lord
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
Macaulay
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
man
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
mental
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
mocking
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
modern
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
moment
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
much
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
musing
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
nature
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
necessity
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
new
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
nourishment
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
offer
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
optimistic
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
past
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
pessimist
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
placid
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
pleasednounUS /ˈpleased/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
propheticadjectiveUS /prəˈfɛtɪk/
suggesting what will happen in the future
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
public
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
quiet
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
rarely
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
rather
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
reflection
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
restlessness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
retrospective
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
revert
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
set
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From this reading His face was set towards the past, not towards the future.
Shelley
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
shone
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From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
singularly
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From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
society
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
spirit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
stimulating
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
stir
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
strain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
suggestive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
surroundings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
tenderness
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He never caught the restlessness of this century, nor the prophetic light that shone in the faces of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats; if he apprehended the stir of the new spirit, he still, by mental affiliation, belonged rather to the age of Addison than to that of Macaulay.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading His face was set towards the past, not towards the future.
tradition
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
traditions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
void
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From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
warm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And his placid, retrospective, optimistic strain pleased a public that were excited and harrowed by the mocking and lamenting of Lord Byron, and, singularly enough, pleased even the great pessimist himself.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
writings
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From this reading His writings induce to reflection; to quiet musing, to tenderness for tradition; they amuse, they entertain, they call a check to the feverishness of modern life; but they are rarely stimulating or suggestive.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Although the direction of his work as a man of letters was largely determined by his early surroundings,--that is, by his birth in a land void of traditions, and into a society without much literary life, so that his intellectual food was of necessity a foreign literature that was at the moment becoming a little antiquated in the land of its birth, and his warm imagination was forced to revert to the past for that nourishment which his crude environment did not offer,--yet he was by nature a retrospective man.
