Chapter 3 of Within Prison Walls is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Within Prison Walls is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison. September 29. It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think. I am a prisoner, locked, double locked. By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
Chapter 3 of Within Prison Walls is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
(of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown
From this reading “MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.”
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading “MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.”
a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air
From this reading “By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.”
the second day of the week; the first working day
From this reading “MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.”
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading “September 29.”
third-person singular of “shut” — move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading “By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.”
a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
From this reading “MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.”
An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.
From this reading “By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.”
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.
In this reading “By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.”
In this reading “It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.”
In this reading “By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.”
In this reading “By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading September 29.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I am a prisoner, locked, double locked.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am a prisoner, locked, double locked.
(of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
increase twofold
From this reading I am a prisoner, locked, double locked.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading I am a prisoner, locked, double locked.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
the second day of the week; the first working day
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
not any; not one
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
the middle of the day
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
a future prospect or potential
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading I am a prisoner, locked, double locked.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading September 29.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
third-person singular of “shut” — move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
in or at or to some place
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading It is noon hour; somewhere about 12:45 I should think.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
propel through the air
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)
From this reading MONDAY MORNING Cell 15, second tier, north, north wing, Auburn Prison.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading By no human possibility, by no act of my own, can I throw open the iron grating which shuts me from the world into this small stone vault.
Chapter 3 of Within Prison Walls by Thomas Mott Osborne holds 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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.
Chapter 3 holds 174 sentences of Within Prison Walls, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Within Prison Walls by Thomas Mott Osborne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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.
Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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.
Common questions about reading Within Prison Walls by Thomas Mott Osborne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3980 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33255 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33255, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 331 minutes of reading across 796 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Within Prison Walls section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Within Prison Walls to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Within Prison Walls, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
