ENG 2003: Introduction to Poetry

Each week, every student will write an entry in our shared glossary. We will use the Docs on our Course Profile to collaborate on this glossary, each adding at least one entry per week. Words can include technical terms in the study of poetry, such as from our textbook, words you didn’t know when reading, or words you knew but needed to understand better in the context of the poem, or even words from our class discussions, others’ blog posts or comments, or course documents. I will also include in the glossary words for which you can complete the entry, rather than choosing your own word. For each entry, you will include:

  • the word,
  • its part of speech (eg, noun, adjective, verb)
  • the most appropriate definition–not necessarily the first one
  • the source of the definition
  • the context of the word (eg, the poem title and line from our reading, the textbook section and page, or the discussion or course document date and subject)
  • your explanation of the connotation of the word in that context
  • your initials (to get credit for your work)
Use the buttons above to insert rows as needed
Word Part of Speech DefinitionSourceContextExplanation Initials
-A-      
Acquiescence  Noun  (Chap 5, Thylias Moss “Interpretation of..” paragraph 1): Acceptance without protest”The interloper in this scene, a young black girl in Moss’s interpretation, obeys the boundaries set by Jim Crow “even in the absence of a fence” (5), signifying her acquiescenceto the unfair laws.”this girl blindly accepted these laws that with or without a barrier she wouldn’t rebel against the idea of segregation, though they are unfair  D.C
Amalgam  noun  (Chap 8) A mixture or blend.”The speaker is addressing a well-intentioned person, possibly an amalgam of all the people who have acted out the unheard portion of similar conversations.” – in regards to Diane Burns, Sure You Can Ask Me A Personal Question  D.C
Ambiguity
 noun  This word appears in chapter three.1) Allows for two or more simultaneous interpretations of a word,a phrase, an action, all of which can be supported by the context of the workEx: Giving words or ideas two different connotations (chicken as an animal, and chicken as a coward person.)
2) Definition in the dictionary: Doubtfulness  or uncertainty of meaning or intention.Ex: There are several ambiguities in this text
 R.S
Amorphous Adjective lacking definite form; having no specific shape; formless: theamorphous clouds. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/amorphous “I hold his essence and amorphous shape” I will put Chaos into fourteen lines pg 244 (5th Edition) S.P
Averse
 Adjective Definition: The strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, strong distaste.
Source: Poetry : An Introduction 6th Ed. (Pg 138) Death’s Theater Section: Figures of SpeechConnotation: Of the word averse in my opinion means strongly not feeling it, something you don’t look like perhaps dislike or something you don’t care much for. The act of feeling apathetic.
 
 Alliteration  noun  The repition of the same consonant sounds in a sequence of words usually at the begining of a word or stressed syllable “descennding dew drops” luscious lemons (Glossery of literary terms)  
-B-      
       
Briskly  Adj  quickly, rapidly in a brisk manner; “she walked briskly in the cold air”; “`after lunch,’ she said briskly”  S.D
Bivouac  Verb  To rest assemble in such an area; encamp (dictionary.com) “Battle-Piece”(pg108) Seldom, they quickstep as far downhill as this bivouac; they miss string, snap. Ex: they built a wall like so they wouldn’t be strucked with abullet or cannon.  M.S
Boon Noun
“1: benefit, favor; especially : one that is given in answer to a request 2: a timely benefit : blessing” – Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boon). An example of ‘boon’ can be found in William Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much With Us” where the speaker states “We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon.” This line states that our hearts that we have given away is an ignoble blessing/gift.
GSL
Braggarts Noun “a person who boasts loudly or exaggeratedly; bragger” http://www.thefreedictionary.com/braggarts  “… Black and better than boastful braggarts belittling our best and brightest …” The B Network – Haki R. Madhubuti (B.1942) pg 206 Chapter 7 (Fifth Edition) S.P.
       
 -C-      
Cambric  Noun A fine thin white linen fabric – Meriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cambric) An example of this can be found in the poem “Scarborough Fair.” “Tell her to make me a cambric shirt.” GSL
Caper Verb To leap or skip about in a sprightly manner, to prance, or to frisk. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/caper) “Player Piano” by John Updike (pg 188) Ex:My paper can caper; abandon is broadcast by dint of my din, and no man or band has a hand in the tones I turn on from within. Updike is referring to how the sheet music is moving. M.H.
 Churn noun A machine or container in which butter is made by agitating milk or creame(The New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd ED) SJ.P
Chortled Verb to make, or utter with, a gleeful chuckling or snorting sound http://www.yourdictionary.com/chortledChapter 5 “To a Wasp” – “You must have chortled finding that tiny hole” S.P.
 contradiction  noun  a statement or proposition that contradicts  or deniesanother or itself and is logically incongruous.direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency.  
Connotations Noun CHapter 3 Associations and implications that go beyond a word’s literal meanings. Connotations derive from how the word has been used and the associations people make with it. Connotations of a bird may include fragility, vulneberality. P.C
Converge Verb To come together, intersect or unite. Can also mean to approach a limit, or an end.Source: Merriam-Webster OnlineReference to “Convergence of the twain” (1912) by Thomas Hardy H.C
Coyness  Adjective  Definition: (esp. in a woman) The quality of feigning shyness or modesty in an attempt to seem alluring (google dictionary). From Andrew Marvell’s Poem To His Coy Mistress. Example: The girl who performed at the talent show as a comedian began to show a misleading coyness when I attempted to talk to her.  D.K.
       
       
       
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Discordant  Adjective
  1.  Disagreeing or incongruous.
  2. Characterized by quarreling and conflict.
ch. 8
 D.C
Diction  Noun Like all good writers, poets are keenly aware of diction, their choice of words.This word appeared in chapter 3 first paragraph. Diction is the way of speaking or writing that the authors decides to use in order to bring out the meaning or value of his or her work. For Ex. This author in this poem expressed his idea in a stylish diction. P.C
 Die Verb “To have an orgasm” (wordnik.com)The word “die” was used in this context in many of Shakespeare’s works and in the poem “Last Night” by Sharon Olds.In the poem “Last Night”, the poet was describing an intense sexual experience and in lines 18-19, she says “…the screaming I groan to remember it, and when we started to die, then I refuse to remember…”  GSL
 Denotations  Noun  Denotations are the literal dictionary meaning of a word. For example, Bird denotates a feathered animal with wings ( other denotations for teh same word include a shuttle cock, an airplane, or an odd person). Chapter 3  P.C
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Elastic Adjective Definition: Being capable of adjusting to change and new circumstances including a variety of circumstances (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elastic) The word elastic appears in the poem The Red Hat by Rachel Hands in the book Poetry: An introduction 6th Ed.on page 229 Section: Chapter 8 Patterns of Rhythm. Line # 11 “The watcher’s heart stretches, elastic in its love and fear”The connotation for the word elastic is adaption, getting used to something, making adjustments, and searching and seeking for comfort. H.A
Esthete Noun
a person who has or who affects a highly developedappreciation of beauty, esp in poetry and the visual arts
 D.A
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  flimsy  Noun  a thin strong lightweight translucent paper used especially for making carbon copies.”but they feel vastly different-flimsy, strange”, line 19  S.D
Fester  Verb Definition : To form pus; generate purulent matter; suppurate. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fester?s=t) This word appears in Langston Hughes Harlem (pg 422) 3 rd line in the A Study of Langston Hughes section of the chapter in our Poetry: an introduction. The connotation of this word in this poem is being used to explain something that won’t revive for a while. The fester is to describe a pus in the sore that won’t heal quickly till it really becomes painful. He also uses it to describe a real bad intolerable pain.  H.A
Fealty  Noun  DEFINITION: the loyalty sworn to one’s lord on becoming his vassal, allegiance or faithfulness. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fealty) This word appears in On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer by John Keats (pg 246, line 5) in the Poetic Forms chapter of our reading.  IM
Fen  Noun “Low land that is covered wholly or partly with water unless artificially drained and that usually has peaty alkaline soil and characteristic flora (as of sedges and reeds)” – Merriam-Webster(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fen). For example, in the poem “London, 1802” by William Wordsworth, England is described as “…a fen of stagnant waters..” GSL
Figure of Speech   is where a word or words are used to create an effect, often where they do not have their original or literal meaning.You fit into me by Margaret Artwood p. 135 “Like a hook into an eye”  KR
 Ford Noun “A shallow part of a body of water that may be crossed by wading” – Merriam-Webster(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ford). The word “ford” can be found in Whitman’s “Cavalry Crossing a Ford” which describes a troop of soldiers on horses lazily crossing a shallow stream.  GSL
 Farce noun A funny play for the theatre based on ridiculous and unlikely situations and evets(The New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd ED)  SJ.P
 Foot  noun  The metrical inu by which of poetry is measured. A foot usually consits of one stressed and one or two unstressed sylables. (Glossary of literary terms)  
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 Geezer Noun “a queer, odd, or eccentric person —used especially of elderly men” Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geezer). For example, in Andrew Hudgins’s “The Cow”, it is mentioned that “We all love beeefsteak – from baby to geezer” signifying that they love beefsteak from young to old. GSL
 Gossamer  noun  a flim of cobweb floating in the air in calm weather.  apd
Gristle noun Definition: Cartilage, esp. when found as tough, inedible tissue in meat. (dictionary.com).Many people cut off all the gristle before preparing meat in-order to eliminate the need to cut it off during the meal.Elaine Magarrell’s “The Joy of Cooking” pg 154. D.K.
 Guidon  Noun ‘A small flag or streamer carried as a guide, for marking or signaling, or for identification.” -http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/guidon                           This word was found in Walt Whitman’s “Cavalry Crossing a Ford.” Whitman writes,”The guidon flags flutter gaily in the wind.” It seems that guidon flags are used in the military for the reasons explained in the definition.  M.H.
-H-      
 highballs  noun  a family of mixed drinks made with alcohol and non alcoholic mixer…. wikipedia.  apd
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Itinerant Adjective  (Chap 6) Traveling from place to place especially to perform work or a duty. Describing a person who has no fixed home  D.C
Images  Noun  This word appeared in chapter 4 first page and first paragraph. An image is language that addresses the senses. The most common images in poetry are visual; they provide verbal pictures of the poets’ encounters- real or imagined- with the world. To my understanding images are things that we are able to see or imagine from what an author or poet describes.  P.C
Incongruous Adjective Not in place; unsuitablechapter 4 (paragraph 2 of Jane KenyonThe Blue Bowl)

The bowl’s blueness calls attention to other colors in the poem that may have otherwise been overlooked: the cat’s “long red fur” (7) and the incongruous “white feathers / between his toes” (7–8)

the white feathers are incongruous because the typical use of the color white conflicts with the mood of the poem.

D.C
                 
       
Irony Noun the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning:An example of this would be “that’s great, my car just broke down”. K.R.
Impalpable Adjective not palpable;  incapable of being perceived by the sense oftouch; intangible. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Impalpable?s=t  “… and pears, and shed the perfume impalpable to form.”  Walt Whitman (1819-1892) On Rhyme and Meter pg 270 (5th Edition) S.P.
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 Japonica  Noun  the camellia having waxy flowers in a variety of colors. “Naming of parts” (pg 177) dictionary.com  M.S
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-L-      
Laity Noun
the body of religious worshipers, as distinguished from the clergy. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/laity
“To tell the laity our love” A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, pg 150 5th Edition line 8
S.P.
Luffed  verb  to set (the helm of a ship) in such a way as to bring the head of the ship into the wind. Dictionary.com”essayed to say her frisky sail she luffed”  M.S
Lurch Noun an act or instance of swaying abruptly. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lurching?s=t “… in the lanes like lemmings lurching toward their last” The ABC of Aerobics pg 286 (5th Edition) S.P.
Lea  noun  (The World is Too Much with Us William Wordsworth L.11) a open area of grassy land;meadow

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

 

D.C
-M-      
maelstrom  Noun  a powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius  KR
Mead  Noun The online dictionary Reference.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mead) defines mead as follows:(i) an alcoholic drink made by fermenting a solution of honey, often with spices added
(ii) an archaic or poetic word for meadowThe word ‘mead’ can be found in William Blake’s poem ‘The Lamb.’ In the line which states “By the stream and o’er the mead”, the word mead is used to refer to meadow and not the alcoholic beverage.
GSL
metaphor  figure of speech  A metaphor is a literary figure of speech,that uses an image, story or tangable thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., “Her eyes were glistening jewels.  SM
morgue   Definition: A place in which bodies are kept, especially the bodies of victims of violence or accidents, pending identification or burial. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/morgue?s=ts) This word can be the song Book Of Rhymes by Nas from his God’s Son album http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nas/bookofrhymes.html line 20. The word morgue described in the song is a place like a burial place, a place where they place dead bodies, death and scary images.  H.A
-N-      
 Nascent  adjective  beginning to develop; coming to existence or; emerging (thefreedictionary.com). This word can be found on the 1st pg, last paragraph of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.  IM
-O-      
 onomatopoeia  noun  An onomatopoeia or onomatopœia (About this sound pronunciation (US) (help·info), from the Greekὀνοματοποιία;[1] ὄνομα for “name”[2] and ποιέω for “I make”,[3] adjectival form: “onomatopoeic” or “onomatopoetic”) is a word that imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes.Onomatopoeia (as an uncountable noun) refers to the property of such words. Common occurrences of onomatopoeias include animal noises, such as “oink” or “meow” or “roar”. Onomatopoeias are not the same across all languages; they conform to some extent to the broaderlinguistic system they are part of; hence the sound of a clock may be tick tock in Englishdī dā inMandarin, or katchin katchin in Japanese  SM
Ode  Noun A lyrical poem typically marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of lines, and complexity of stanza formats.Source: Merriam-Webster OnlineReference to both “Ode to American English” (1929) by  Barbara Hamby & “Ode to a Grecian Urn” (1819) by John Keats  H.C.
Opulence  Noun  1. wealth, riches or affluence (plentiful, an abundant supply of thoughts or words; profusion)Connotation of the word opulence in my opinion means plentiful, variety and sophistication in the part of the text. As we see in the text that theaters are described as  a (variety of things) such as we see actors and actress with different imaginations, visualization, we see sophistication of using different things to make viewers feel emotion, a mood, and a tone. There are plenty of things we see at the theater including a genre of a movie or a play.Source: Poetry : An IntroductionMichael Meyer(Pg 69) : Denotation and Connotations” Theater, for instance was once associated with depravity, disease and sin, whereas today the word usually evokes some sense of high culture and perhaps visions of elegant opulence”.  H.A
 oxymoron  part of speech  An oxymoron (plural oxymorons or oxymora) (from Greek ὀξύμωρον, “sharp dull”) is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. Oxymorons appear in a variety of contexts, including inadvertent errors such as ground pilot and literary oxymorons crafted to reveal a paradox.  SM
-P-plashless  verb  this means the same as splashlessand the root word is splash: todash and strike about in liquid  apd
Pallid adjective Definition: (of a person’s face) Pale, typically because of poor health. (Dictionary.com) From Carolyn Kizer’s “After Basho” pg 261. Example: John is effectively starving himself on that new diet of his, its no surprise he was looking so pallid. DK
Piety noun (William Wordsworth My Heart Leaps Up) reverence for god or devout fulfilment for religious obligations.

The child is the father of the man

And i could wish my days to be

Bound each to each by natural piety

I assume the speaker is hoping for a day where the world is bound together by religion and a love of god

D.C
 Presentiment Noun Definition: a feeling of evil to come; ”a steadily escalating sense of foreboding””; [from obsolete French, from pressentir to sense beforehand; see pre-, sentiment] (www.thefreedictionary.com)From Emily Dickinson’s (pg. 136) ”Presentiment – is that long Shadow – on the lawn -“Example: I had a presentiment that my dog was not alright and later I found out he was hit by a car.” D.K.
 Prose noun  The ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.

R.S
 Plough/Plow noun A large farming implement with one or more blades fixed in a fram, drawn by a tractor or by animals and used for cutting furrows in the soil and turning it over.(The New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd ED) SJ.P
 Promontory  noun A high point of land or rock projecting into the sea or otherwater beyond the line of coast. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/promontoryA Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman  M.H.
Poetic diction Noun The use of elevated language rather than ordinary language was highly valued in English poetry but since the nineteenth century poets have generally overrridden the distinctions that were once made between words used in everyday pseech and those used in poetry. P.C
plethora  noun  overabundance, excessive  apd
 -Q-      
 Quill  noun  a pen made of a bird’s feather  apd
       
rue  noun  regret or sorrow ” Definition  Online” ” my rue heart is laiden”  apd
Reticence   noun  one that is not open or communicative;one that is reserved in speech source: mentioned in chapter 3 context: “Her reticence mimics their fatalistic pose” in regards to Brooks’ “We Real Cool”  D.C
Reified    Make (something abstract) more concrete or real. Used in page 281 Alzheimer’s line 10, used to describe the structure of the house.   S.S
-S-      
Satire  Noun The use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule in exposing, denouncing, deriding vice or the act of being foolish. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/satireChapter 9 : Poetic Forms “polished bits of compressed irony, satire or paradox”.A person that talks or writes in a strange, unorthadox way using a humorous manner.  H.A
Sinews Noun  A source of strenght, power,vigor, a tendon.  
Simile Noun A Simile makes an explicit comparison between two things by using words such as like as than appears or seems. Ex. A sip of Mrs. Cook’s coffee is a punch in the stomach. The force of the simile is created by the differences between the two things compared. Chapter 5  P.C
Scythe           Noun An implement consisting of a long, curved single-edged blade with a long bent handle, used for mowing or reaping. www.thefreedictionary.com  Battle-Piece – “…. stroking the clean edge of a scythe, these boys achieved”  S.P.
Schizophrenia  Noun A complex mental disorder that makes it difficult to differentiate the feeling between reality with delusion and hallucinations, thus sometimes leading to extreme behavioral responses variations include Catatonic and Paranoid…Source: Merriam-Webster OnlineReference: Ch 5 (Pg. 50) “Schizophrenia” (1992) by Jim Stevens  H.C.
Schizophrenia noun (Psychiatry) A serve mental disorder that may cause but, not limited to the following emotional blunting : slow in perception or understanding) intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions and hallucinations. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/schizophrenicSchizophrenia” Schizophrenia (Title) Chapter 5 (Figures of Speech) Pg 150

Connotation of Schizophrenia: My explanation of the connotation of the word Schizophrenia based on the poem is depression, being isolated, isolating yourself, having hallucinations both visually and auditory.

H.A.
skirtmish  noun  An episode of irregular or unpremeditated fighting, esp. between small or outlying parts of armies or fleets (google dictionary); From Song, “Dance of Death” by Iron Maiden; Two drunkards started a skirmish that turned the bar upside down.  D.K.
Syntax  Adjective  1) the grammatical principles by which words are used in phrases and sentences to construct meaningful combinations.Syntax was discussed in class. It wa0s mentioned to be apart of the poem or the “building block” of the poem. It is the unification of the poem its self.  S.D
 Sojourn  noun  it reffers to a ” tempoary stay”( Merriam Webster Online)  APD
 Sordid  adjective  ignoble actions and motive; arousing moral distaste and contempt (thefreedictionary.com) On page 247, this word can be found in William Wordsworth’s poem The World Is Too Much With Us (line 4). The author uses the word to describe society’s selfish desire for material things.  IM
Sublunary adjective characteristic of or pertaining to the earth; terrestrial. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sublunary  “A Valediction:Forbidding Mourning” pg 150, 5th Edition. “Dull sublunary lovers’ love …” S.P.
-T-      
Throe noun
any violent convulsion or struggle: the throes of battle. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/throe); On pg 323 in the Poem “Water, is taught by thirst” by Emily Dickenson. Ex. The throes of battle has resulted in the death of all our young men
D.K.
Triton  Noun One of the Greek God of the sea’s (Posiedon) sons. described as having the body of a man, the tail of a fish like sea creature and said to have the mouth of a trumpet (like a seahorse).Refernce to: (The World is Too Much with Us William Wordsworth  H.C
Translucent Adjective Permitting light to pass through but diffusing it so that persons, objects, etc., on the opposite side are not clearly visible. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/translucent?s=tContext: The Clarinettistby Ruth Fainlight p.155 Line 12Describes the clouds the speaker is taking about.    M.H.
 thesaurus  noun  a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms  sm
Troubadours Noun one of a class of medieval lyric poets who flourishedprincipally in southern France from the 11th to 13thcenturies, and wrote songs and poems of a complex metricalform in langue d’oc, chiefly on themes of courtly love.Compare trouvère.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/troubadour “AmeRican, beating jibaro modern troubadours” pg 284 (Fifth Edition) S.P
-U-      
Victual  Noun food or provision for human beings. Source:”Battle-Piece”(pg 108)”Keen to victual, nearly home, feature the sharp surprise when, smooth as oiled stone”(dictionary.com”  M.S
Visage  Noun  The face or facial expression of a person. Appearance; aspect. Source: Free online dictionary. Context: The Author to Her Book. Pg. 137 (line 10). Explanation: The speaker uses the word to refer to her appearance. From the context of the lines below there is further description of this appearance which does not seem too desirable.   IM
-W-      
Wantonness Noun ch.8 Robert Herrick Delight in Disorder (2)

A SWEET disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness

1.a deliberate act done without motive/uncalled for

2.lacking restraint or control

Herrick described an attraction felt towards a provocatively dressed woman

D.C
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