"The Writer" by Richard Wilbur

This poem explores the relationship between a father and his daughter. Read the full text here.
15 words 175 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. prow
    the front part of a vessel
    In her room at the prow of the house
  2. pause
    stop an action temporarily
    I pause in the stairwell, hearing
  3. commotion
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
    From her shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys
  4. haul
    draw slowly or heavily
    Like a chain hauled over a gunwale.
  5. cargo
    goods carried by a large vehicle
    Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy:
  6. passage
    a journey usually by ship
    I wish her a lucky passage.
  7. reject
    refuse to accept or acknowledge
    As if to reject my thought and its easy figure.
  8. figure
    a predetermined set of movements in dancing or skating
    As if to reject my thought and its easy figure.
  9. stroke
    a single complete movement
    Of strokes, and again is silent.
  10. daze
    confusion characterized by lack of clarity
    I remember the dazed starling
  11. sleek
    having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light
    We watched the sleek, wild, dark
  12. iridescent
    varying in color when seen in different lights
    And iridescent creature
  13. wit
    mental ability
    For the wits to try it again; and how our spirits
  14. suddenly
    happening unexpectedly
    Rose when, suddenly sure,
  15. smooth
    having a surface free from roughness or irregularities
    Beating a smooth course for the right window
Created on Mon Jun 11 12:32:21 EDT 2012 (updated Wed Apr 10 08:31:58 EDT 2019)

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