Month: October 2018

noun

“a divine imparting of knowledge or power : INSPIRATION” – Merriam-Webster dictionary

The word was encountered in “A Literary Visitor Strolls in From the Airport” by Charles Mcgrath

The sentence it was used was “There!” he said. “There’s the interface!” A little later, after pausing briefly near the Utica Avenue intersection to inspect, in vain, a curbside book table for Will Self titles, he caught a whiff of subway. “Ah,” he said. “The afflatus of the city’s bowels — now we’re getting into the real body of the city.”

The author utilizes this word to try to say that where they were trying to say where they were wasn’t what New York is known for. But since now they smell the subways and are going near a big avenue filled with people they are going to the body of the body which bowels is defined as “the parts deep inside something large.” Afflatus is the word used to say that they now know that they are in the city’s “core” and that they are in the “body of the city” which means what New York really is known for.

Definition

noun

“sudden enlightenment and a state of consciousness attained by intuitive illumination representing the spiritual goal of Zen Buddhism” Merriam-Webster dictionary

The word was encountered in “A Literary Visitor Strolls in From the Airport” by Charles Mcgrath

The sentence it was used was “It’s a work of beauty and a joy to behold,” he told the homeowner. The morning was foggy and unseasonably warm, and a few blocks later, near the entrance to Aqueduct Race Track, he shed his jacket and announced: “We’ll, we’re only a fraction of the way there, but in terms of my longer walk, starting in London, I’m already halfway, and I can say that I am ludicrously (Foolish or unreasonable) happy. I am in a state of almost absurd satori.”

The author utilizes the word to express the perfect state of happiness. With some research, Zen is to be “fully aware, here and now” which also translates to meditation. Because he says he feels satori which is Zen he’s saying that the walk is a way for him to meditate and be with himself. He’s feeling peaceful and relaxed on his walk and is grounding himself. When he later encounters someone who “couldn’t conceptually grasp the idea of walking to New York.” I think he’s trying to say is as a New Yorker you’re always on the move to get to your destination the fastest which makes us normally think, for example, the only way to getting to Manhatten is by train when there is a bridge to get there by bike or walking. But the bigger idea is that we don’t enjoy the scenery we have around us as it’s always changing. We notice when things get replaced.

Definition

adverb

“amusing or laughable through obvious absurdity, incongruity, exaggeration, or eccentricity” – Merriam Webster dictionary

The word was encountered in “A Literary Visitor Strolls in From the Airport” by Charles Mcgrath

The sentence that this was used in is“It’s a work of beauty and a joy to behold,” he told the homeowner. The morning was foggy and unseasonably warm, and a few blocks later, near the entrance to Aqueduct Race Track, he shed his jacket and announced: “We’ll, we’re only a fraction of the way there, but in terms of my longer walk, starting in London, I’m already halfway, and I can say that I am ludicrously happy. I am in a state of almost absurd satori. (a Spiritual goal of Zen Buddhism)”

The author utilizes this word to express his emotions while going through his walk in London. To this author taking walks is better than the drinking because “Alcohol and drugs tend to keep you from taking walks”. He walks out of his own free will and doesn’t force it upon himself to “score a walk”.  Because he describes it as foggy warm mornings one could say he admires the scenery around him which makes him absurdly happy probably because on his walks he’s able to see scenery normal people would miss because they only walk from point A to point B instead of taking detours.

Definition