Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish is here in full — 7 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Joseph Rocchietti • Curated US English Learning Edition

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_Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

AMERICAN GENIUSES.

For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

JOSEPH ROCCHIETTI.

NEW YORK, the first of 1845.

WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish Joseph Rocchietti

Chapter I

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish is here in full — 7 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

_Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits. Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère. AMERICAN GENIUSES. For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world. JOSEPH ROCCHIETTI. NEW YORK, the first of 1845. WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish is here in full — 7 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/1 · 7 reading units · Lines 1–7

Line 1

_Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

Line 2

Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

Line 3

AMERICAN GENIUSES.

/əˈmerəkən ˈdʒiːnjəsɪz/

Line 4

For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

/fɔːr jɔːr ˈwelfer meɪ jɔːr ˈkʌntri ˈlɪsən tuː maɪ ˈfiːbəl vɔɪs ˈprɑːspər wɪð jɔːr prɑːˈsperəti ənd ðə ˈiːɡəl ʌv ˈlɪb.ər.ti spred θruːˈaʊt ðə wɜːrld/

Line 5

JOSEPH ROCCHIETTI.

Line 6

NEW YORK, the first of 1845.

Line 7

WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

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.

est noun US /est/

standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States

From this reading “Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.”

flourish verb US /ˈflɜːrɪʃ/

grow vigorously

From this reading “WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.”

geniuses noun US /ˈdʒiːnjəsɪz/

plural of “genius” — someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading “AMERICAN GENIUSES.”

nous noun US /nuːs/

common sense

From this reading “Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.”

par noun US /pɑːr/

(golf) the standard number of strokes set for each hole on a golf course, or for the entire course

From this reading “Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.”

plus noun US /plʌs/

a useful or valuable quality

From this reading “_Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.”

prosper verb US /ˈprɑːspər/

make steady progress; be at the high point in one's career or reach a high point in historical significance or importance

From this reading “For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.”

welfare noun US /ˈwelfer/

governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need

From this reading “For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.”

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.

spread throughout verb + particle

In this reading “For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.”

feeble voice adjective + noun

In this reading “For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.”

throughout the world preposition + article + noun counted as “throughout … world”

In this reading “For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.”

All words in this reading · 80

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.

1845

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

From this reading NEW YORK, the first of 1845.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

alors

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

AMERICAnounUS /əˈmerəkə/

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

AMERICANnounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading AMERICAN GENIUSES.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

aunounUS /oʊ/

a soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element; occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits; does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine and aqua regia

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

Bruyère

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

CANNOT

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

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

Celui

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

cette

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

contemporains

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

eaglenounUS /ˈiːɡəl/

any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

ennounUS /en/

half the width of an em

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

estnounUS /est/

standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

faut

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

feebleadjectiveUS /ˈfiːbəl/

pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading NEW YORK, the first of 1845.

FLOURISHverbUS /ˈflɜːrɪʃ/

grow vigorously

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

GENIUSESnounUS /ˈdʒiːnjəsɪz/

plural of “genius” — someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading AMERICAN GENIUSES.

goùt

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

IlnounUS /ɪl/

a midwestern state in north-central United States

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

JOSEPHnounUS /ˈdʒoʊsəf/

leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)

From this reading JOSEPH ROCCHIETTI.

justicenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/

the quality of being just or fair

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

lanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

LITERATUREnounUS /ˈlɪtərətʃər/

creative writing of recognized artistic value

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

nnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

NATIONALadjectiveUS /ˈnæʃənəl/

of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

NEWadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading NEW YORK, the first of 1845.

NORTHnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

nos

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

nousnounUS /nuːs/

common sense

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

parnounUS /pɑːr/

(golf) the standard number of strokes set for each hole on a golf course, or for the entire course

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

perfectionnounUS /pərˈfekʃən/

the state of being without a flaw or defect

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

personne

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

plusnounUS /plʌs/

a useful or valuable quality

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

postérité

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

prosperverbUS /ˈprɑːspər/

make steady progress; be at the high point in one's career or reach a high point in historical significance or importance

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

prosperitynounUS /prɑːˈsperəti/

an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

quelquefois

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

qui

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

refusée

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

rendre

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

ROCCHIETTI

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

From this reading JOSEPH ROCCHIETTI.

sanounUS /sɑː/

Nazi militia created by Hitler in 1921 that helped him to power but was eclipsed by the SS after 1943

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

sait

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

ses

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

siècle

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

songe

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

spreadverbUS /spred/

distribute or disperse widely

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

STATESnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

tendre

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

throughoutprepositionUS /θruːˈaʊt/

in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

toujours

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

From this reading Il faut toujours tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains, la postérité sait nous la rendre._ La Bruyère.

UNITEDadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

welfarenounUS /ˈwelfer/

governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

WHYnounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading WHY A NATIONAL LITERATURE CANNOT FLOURISH IN THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

YORKnounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading NEW YORK, the first of 1845.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the world.

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

écrits

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

écrivant

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

égard

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

From this reading _Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle, songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits.

Chapter 1 of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish by Joseph Rocchietti holds 7 sentences, grouped into 2 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 1 of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish contain?

Chapter 1 holds 7 sentences of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish, unabridged, divided into 2 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish by Joseph Rocchietti exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 7 sentences, grouped into 2 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 1 of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish?

Work through the 2 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 2 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish

Common questions about reading Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish by Joseph Rocchietti on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish?

Yes. All 878 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31777 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31777, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish take to read?

About 73 minutes of reading across 176 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Open a chapter

Choose one of the 11 chapters of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish

Words and structures a reader meets early in Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Celui: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crivant: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Songe: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Personne: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

What does chapter 1 of Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish contain?

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Questions about reading Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish

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Vocabulary met early in Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish