text_original: Before his time, readers or hearers were never called upon to cry except at a tragedy, and compassion was not expected to express itself otherwise than in blank verse, of for personages much lower in rank than a dethroned monarch, or a widowed or a jilted empress.
text_transcription: BEFORE HIS TIME READERS OR HEARERS WERE NEVER CALLED UPON TO CRY EXCEPT AT A TRAGEDY AND COMPASSION WAS NOT EXPECTED TO EXPRESS ITSELF OTHERWISE THAN IN BLANK VERSE OR FOR PERSONAGES MUCH LOWER IN RANK THAN A DETHRONED MONARCH OR A WIDOWED OR A JILTED EMPRESS
phonemes: bᵻfˌɔːɹ hɪz tˈaɪm, ɹˈiːdɚz ɔːɹ hˈɪɹɚz wɜː nˈɛvɚ kˈɔːld əpˌɑːn tə kɹˈaɪ ɛksˈɛpt æɾə tɹˈædʒədi, ænd kəmpˈæʃən wʌz nˌɑːt ɛkspˈɛktᵻd tʊ ɛkspɹˈɛs ɪtsˈɛlf ˈʌðɚwˌaɪz ðɐn ɪn blˈæŋk vˈɜːs, ʌv fɔːɹ pˈɜːsənɪdʒᵻz mˈʌtʃ lˈoʊɚɹ ɪn ɹˈæŋk ðˌænə diːθɹˈoʊnd mˈɑːnɚk, ɔːɹ ɐ wˈɪdoʊd ɔːɹ ɐ dʒˈɪltᵻd ˈɛmpɹɛs.