Vocabulary Flashcards
taciturn
Describing a person who doesn’t choose to speak unless it is necessary (not my turn to speak)
Raskolnikov is far more taciturn than usual upon his first encounter with Dunya and Pulcheria, as he had just committed a murder.
ostensibly
Something that appears to be true at first glance
Raskolnikov had been in bed for days, ostensibly due to a sort of illness.
magnanimous
a caring a charitable person
dowry
material goods or money that a wife gives to their husband upon marriage
Luzhin wishes to be able to marry Dunya for her innocent ways, not for the sake of a dowry.
ambivalent
pulled between two equally strong things
Raskolnikov has an overwhelming feeling of ambivalence when deciding how to deal with his guilt.
ambiguous
a character who can be understood in more than a few different ways (interpretable)
The true intentions of Svidrigailov are ambiguous, but Raskolnikov knows that something is up.
revery
Being in a state of daydreaming
Revery began to overcome Raskolnikov as he stumbled down the street back home.
torpor
inactivity or idleness of mind and body
Raskolnikov was lying on the couch, overcome with torpor from the days events.
emaciated
Describes a pale, thin, or sickly appearance due to illness or lack of nutrition
Natasya discovered that Raskolnikov was emaciated after his night out.
parapet
a short wall on the edge of a balcony.
Raskolnikov watched as a woman threw herself over the parapet and into the water below.
cantankerous
someone who is contentious or argumentative
retrograde
a person who is immoral or corrupt
convivial
a joyful and friendly person with a lot of energy
multifarious
someone with many different sides or qualities
depraved
corrupt or morally indifferent/ enjoys laughs at perversion
de-completely, praved- crooked
enjambment
continuation of a sentence without a pause at the end of the line (typically poetry)
ephemeral
something that doesn’t last long or is short-lived
physiognomy
a persons expression or facial features that are used to interpret a characters personality
domineering
a person who is overbearing or overly controlling (always over your shoulder)
obsequious
someone who is overly obedient or eager to serve
end-stop
punctuation that coincides with the end of a line. A line that ends without grammatical boundary
caesura
pause that occurs in a line of poetry, usually marked by punctuation
often used to create rhythm and cadence in poetry
Insipid
something that lacks interest or challenge
Erudite
to have or display great knowledge
Laudatory
giving praise to something/someone
Discursive
changing from subject to subject quickly, without connecting ideas
Didactic
teaching a concept, often in a way that looks down upon the learner
Menagerie
a strange collection of people or things
Reproof
a negative comment that shows disappointment or criticism
Capricious
a person that has unpredictable moods or changes in behavior
Symbolism
suggests or represents more than one meaning
Trite
an idea or opinion that is overused or cliche
Structure
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Form
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Octave
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Volta
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Sestet
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Stanza
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Villanelle
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Couplet
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Italian Sonnet
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Slant Rhyme
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Demurely
someone who acts shyly or modestly
Esoteric
something only people who are highly educated or have a specialized interest in a topic would understand
Admonition
a gentle warning or caution
Piquant
something that is pleasantly stimulating
Sardonically
describes a humorous mocking or disdainful reaction
Pedantic
someone who is eager to correct every small error
Perambulations
to walk around or over
Apparition
A ghost like image of a person
