The Raven

Mr. Bernstrom (Sweden)
Words from Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven.
43 words 148 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dreary
    lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
    Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
    Synonym: boring and slow.
  2. ponder
    reflect deeply on a subject
    Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
    Synonym: to think about.
  3. weary
    physically and mentally fatigued
    Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
    Synonym: tired. Used not only about the body, but also about the mind. If you are weary from practicing football, you don't feel like practicing football for a long time. Your mind is tired, not just your body.
  4. quaint
    strange in an interesting or pleasing way
    Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
    Synonym: odd, special. Often used about old things that are a bit odd, but that oddity makes them interesting.
  5. curious
    eager to investigate and learn or learn more
    Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
    Curiosity killed the cat. Swedish: nyfiken.
  6. bleak
    unpleasantly cold and damp
    Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
    Wet, cold, and gray. If your future is bleak there is not much hope in it, if the weather is bleak you'd better wear a jacket. And maybe boots.
  7. wrought
    shaped to fit by altering the contours of a pliable mass
    And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
    Past tense of "wring" which is similar to Swedish "forma".
  8. surcease
    a stopping
    From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
    Has the word root "cease" in it, which means "stop".
  9. radiant
    emanating or as if emanating light
    For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
    Synonym: glowing. But that is a bit too weak, radiant things are more than just glowing. Swedish: strålande.
  10. thrill
    something that causes a sudden intense feeling
    Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
  11. entreat
    ask for or request earnestly
    `'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
    Synonym: ask.
  12. hesitate
    pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
    Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
    Swedish: tveka.
  13. scarce
    deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
    That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
    Swedish: Knappt, för lite.
  14. peer
    look searchingly
    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
  15. murmur
    speak softly or indistinctly
    This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
    Synonym of "mumble" but can be used for other sounds than speech.
  16. fling
    throw with force or recklessness
    Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
    Irregular verb: Fling, flung, have flung.
  17. flutter
    flap the wings rapidly or fly with flapping movements
    Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
  18. yore
    time long past
    In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
    Older word, nowadays we would say "In times of old" or something to that effect.
  19. mien
    a person's appearance, manner, or demeanor
    But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
    Synonym: manner. Used for special kind of manner, a more dignified and good manner.
  20. perch
    an elevated place serving as a seat
    But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
  21. bust
    a sculpture of the head and shoulders of a person
    Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
    Swedish: "byst".
  22. grave
    requiring serious thought
    By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
    Swedish: "allvarlig". Can also mean "grav", and this double meaning is used by Poe to create a scarier mood.
  23. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
    By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
    How appropriate your manners are. In this case, the decorum was grave, which means it was a serious looking thing.
  24. countenance
    the appearance conveyed by a person's face
    By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
    Synonym: appearance. But only used about someone's face.
  25. craven
    an abject coward
    `Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
    Less formal synonym: coward.
  26. grim
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
    The "Grim Reaper" is a nickname for Death, Liemannen, Döden.
  27. ancient
    very old
    Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
  28. marvel
    be amazed at
    Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
    Synonym: wonder (as in a wonder, an incredible thing). TO marvel is to look at something and wonder at it's greatness. Swedish: Beundra, häpnas.
  29. ungainly
    lacking grace in movement or posture
    Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
  30. placid
    not easily irritated
    But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
    Synonym: calm.
  31. aptly
    in a competent capable manner
    Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
    To be apt at something is to be skilled or good at it. If you are an apt person, you are able and well-suited to do a certain thing.
  32. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
    Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
    Synonym: lament. Swedish: sorgesång.
  33. velvet
    having a smooth soft surface
    Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
    Velvet is "silke" in Swedish. It can be used to describe cloth, or to describe anything that is smooth and soft, like velvet.
  34. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
    Swedish: illa förebådande.
  35. gloat
    gaze at or think about something with self-satisfaction
    On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
  36. seraph
    an angel of the first order
    Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
  37. respite
    a pause from doing something
    Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
    Synonym: break. In the poem, used in the sense of "stop doing it, please". "respite and nephente" basically means "stop doing that and forget about it".
  38. tempest
    a violent commotion or disturbance
    Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
    Synonym: storm.
  39. desolate
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
    Lonely and sad. Swedish: Ödslig.
  40. undaunted
    unshaken in purpose
    Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
    Swedish: orädd, inte skrämd. un - daunted.
  41. fiend
    an evil supernatural being
    `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!'
  42. shriek
    sharp piercing cry
    I shrieked upstarting -
    Synonym: scream. Only, more high-pitched. Swedish: Skri.
  43. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
    On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
    Synonym: pale. Swedish: blek. Used when the paleness is there because something is wrong with it. For instance, when you are sick.
Created on Wed Feb 06 12:54:01 EST 2013 (updated Tue Feb 12 15:01:22 EST 2013)

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