Flamboyant

Flamboyant; adjective; strikingly bold or brilliant.

From “The Yellow Wallpaper” by C.P. Gillman. “One of the most sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin.” (second page)

In this passage, the narrator is describing the wallpaper that she encountered in the nursery room, where she was going to be sleeping in. She didnt like the aspect of the wallpaper, nor the design. To her, it was strikingly brilliant in a negative way, not a good brilliant.

Blasphemy

Blasphemy; noun; irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.

From “Young Goodman Brown” “On he flew, among the black pines, brandishing his staff with frenzied gestures, now giving vent to an inspiration of horrid blasphemy, and now shouting forth such laughter, as set all the echoes of the forest laughing like demons around him.” (p 53)

I now understand that Goodman Brown was cursing something sacred at the moment. Before, he was challenging all the demons and wizards to come forth, and was then cursing at something, maybe god himself.