Chapter V: Solitude — Vocabulary
Walden Pond by Henry David Thoreau — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from Chapter V: Solitude
- congenial
- Pleasant or agreeable because suited to one's nature or tastes.
- misanthrope
- A person who dislikes and distrusts humankind.
- melancholy
- A deep, persistent sadness or gloom.
- ennui
- A feeling of listless weariness and dissatisfaction arising from boredom.
- panacea
- A universal remedy or cure-all for diseases or troubles.
- indescribable
- Too extraordinary or extreme to be described in words.
- beneficent
- Doing or producing good; generous and kindly.
- AEolian
- Relating to Aeolus, the Greek god of wind; produced by or carried on the wind.
- Acheron
- In Greek mythology, a river of the underworld; used figuratively to mean death or the afterlife.
- Aurora
- The Roman goddess of the dawn; used by Thoreau to represent the freshness and promise of morning.
- simples
- Medicinal plants or herbs; ingredients used in traditional herbal remedies.
- stopples
- Stoppers or plugs used to seal bottles.
- ere
- Before (in time); an archaic or poetic word meaning "before."
- pouts
- A type of freshwater catfish (bullhead); commonly found in New England ponds.
- mullein
- A tall plant with woolly leaves and yellow flowers, common in fields and roadsides.
- dervish
- A Muslim ascetic who practices whirling meditation; used here to mean a solitary spiritual seeker.