The Cremation of Sam McGee

Mary S.
31 words 478 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. arctic
    extremely cold
    The Arctic trails have their secret tales
  2. homely
    lacking in physical beauty or proportion
    Though he'd often say in his homely way that "he'd sooner live in hell."
  3. refuse
    show unwillingness towards
    And if I do, I'm asking that you won't refuse my last request."
  4. request
    express the need or desire for; ask for
    And if I do, I'm asking that you won't refuse my last request."
  5. curse
    an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil
    In the days to come, though my lips were dumb, in my heart how I cursed that load.
  6. dread
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    I was sick with dread, but I bravely said: "I'll just take a peep inside.
  7. grave
    a place for the burial of a corpse
    Yet 'tain't being dead—it's my awful dread of the icy grave that pains;
  8. foul
    highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
    So I want you to swear that, foul or fair, you'll cremate my last remains."
  9. streak
    a narrow marking of a different color from the background
    And we started on at the streak of dawn; but God! he looked ghastly pale.
  10. dawn
    the first light of day
    And we started on at the streak of dawn; but God! he looked ghastly pale.
  11. ghastly
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    And we started on at the streak of dawn; but God! he looked ghastly pale.
  12. rave
    talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
    He crouched on the sleigh, and he raved all day of his home in Tennessee;
  13. corpse
    the dead body of a human being
    And before nightfall a corpse was all that was left of Sam McGee.
  14. promise
    a verbal commitment agreeing to do something in the future
    With a corpse half hid that I couldn't get rid, because of a promise given;
  15. brawn
    the trait of possessing muscular strength
    It was lashed to the sleigh, and it seemed to say: "You may tax your brawn and brains,
  16. brain
    the organ that is the center of the nervous system
    It was lashed to the sleigh, and it seemed to say: "You may tax your brawn and brains,
  17. debt
    the state of owing something, especially money
    Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own stern code.
  18. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own stern code.
  19. code
    a set of rules or principles or laws
    Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own stern code.
  20. woe
    misery resulting from affliction
    Howled out their woes to the homeless snows— O God! how I loathed the thing.
  21. loathe
    dislike intensely; feel disgust toward
    Howled out their woes to the homeless snows— O God! how I loathed the thing.
  22. derelict
    a person without a home, job, or property
    Till I came to the marge of Lake Lebarge, and a derelict there lay;
  23. fuel
    a substance that can be consumed to produce energy
    Some coal I found that was lying around, and I heaped the fuel higher;
  24. flame
    combustion of materials producing heat and light and smoke
    The flames just soared, and the furnace roared—such a blaze you seldom see;
  25. soar
    rise rapidly
    The flames just soared, and the furnace roared—such a blaze you seldom see;
  26. seldom
    not often
    The flames just soared, and the furnace roared—such a blaze you seldom see;
  27. burrow
    a hole made by an animal, usually for shelter
    And I burrowed a hole in the glowing coal, and I stuffed in Sam McGee.
  28. scowl
    frown with displeasure
    And the heavens scowled, and the huskies howled, and the wind began to blow.
  29. cloak
    a loose outer garment
    And the greasy smoke in an inky cloak went streaking down the sky.
  30. grisly
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    I do not know how long in the snow I wrestled with grisly fear;
  31. venture
    an undertaking with an uncertain outcome
    But the stars came out and they danced about ere again I ventured near;
Created on Fri Jun 15 18:30:49 EDT 2012

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