People read for different reasons. When I was in the fifth grade, I read three
Harry Potter books in a week; the plot intrigued me. Now, I’m reading a book about golf. As dazzling as golf can be, reading about
golf isn’t really exciting. Why then, is
John Updike— in my humble opinion— a genius? He can write about golf (and tea)
so smoothly, and brilliantly, that reading becomes an exercise in vocabulary
and lexicon. As a student, I know the
word pathos. But how many times has pathos
appeared in a book you’ve read? How about swales? Or, whittled? Litany? Pronate? Abject?
Duffer? Somatic? Formica? Odious? Sauntering? And my favorite: terribilità?
Swales: (noun) a low or hollow place, esp. a
marshy depression between ridges.
Whittled:
(verb) carve into an object by
repeatedly cutting small slices from it.
Litany:
(noun) a series of petitions for
use in church services or processions, usually
recited by
the clergy and responded to in a recurring formula by the people.
Pronate:
walk or run with most of the
weight on the inside edge of the feet.
Abject:
(of a person or their behavior)
completely without pride or dignity
Duffer:
(noun) an incompetent or stupid
person, esp. an elderly one
Somatic:
(adj) of or relating to the
body, esp. as distinct from the mind.
Formica:
(noun) a hard durable plastic
laminate used for countertops, cupboard doors, and other surfaces.
Odious:
(adj) extremely unpleasant; repulsive
Sauntering:
(verb) walk in a slow, relaxed manner,
without hurry or effort
Terribilità: (noun) awesomeness or emotional intensity of
conception and execution in an artist or work of art, originally as a quality
attributed to Michelangelo by his contemporaries.
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