Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
apart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
beings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
bitter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
blossoming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
borne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
breast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
buds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
caused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What moral or physical infirmity caused by mother’s coldness?
checked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
child
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
childhood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
coldness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What moral or physical infirmity caused by mother’s coldness?
contain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading What vanity could I have wounded,--I a child new-born?
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
causing pain or showing no kindness
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
development
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
domestic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
earliest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
elegies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
eye
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
fed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
find
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
flowers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
frost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
genius
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
ground
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading What vanity could I have wounded,--I a child new-born?
hearts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
history
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading What vanity could I have wounded,--I a child new-born?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
infirmity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What moral or physical infirmity caused by mother’s coldness?
lips
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
moral
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What moral or physical infirmity caused by mother’s coldness?
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
mother's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What moral or physical infirmity caused by mother’s coldness?
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
natures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
new-born
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What vanity could I have wounded,--I a child new-born?
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
oppressed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading What moral or physical infirmity caused by mother’s coldness?
owe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
physical
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What moral or physical infirmity caused by mother’s coldness?
placed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
poet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
promote
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
rancorous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
roots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
silently
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
sing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
smiles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
soil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
sorrows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
souls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
stern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
stony
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
suck
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
tale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
tears
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
tells
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
tender
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
ToparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
torn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
tortures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
touched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
touching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
true
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
vanity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What vanity could I have wounded,--I a child new-born?
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading To what genius fed on tears shall we some day owe that most touching of all elegies,--the tale of tortures borne silently by souls whose tender roots find stony ground in the domestic soil, whose earliest buds are torn apart by rancorous hands, whose flowers are touched by frost at the moment of their blossoming?
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading What poet will sing the sorrows of the child whose lips must suck a bitter breast, whose smiles are checked by the cruel fire of a stern eye?
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The tale that tells of such poor hearts, oppressed by beings placed about them to promote the development of their natures, would contain the true history of my childhood.
wounded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What vanity could I have wounded,--I a child new-born?
