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Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday at BermudaOnion It’s Wednesday again; time for new words. Learn more on Kathy’s site.

I ran across three simple words in three simple poems.

* * *

1. lozenge
(n) [LOZ-inj]

Definition—a diamond-shaped figurelozenged

THE TORTOISE IN ETERNITY
Elinor Wylie

…Tougher than hide or lozenged bark,
Snow-storm and thunder proof,
And quick with sun, and thick with dark,
Is this my darling roof. 

* * *

2. hogan
(n) [HŌ-gən]

DefinitionIndian hogana Navajo lodge covered with earth; traditionally built with the entrance facing east

LITTLE PUPPY
From the Navajo American Indian
Transcribed by Hilda Faunce Wetherill

…They will lead the way
To the hogans where the fires burn
And the square cornbread is in the ashes,
Waiting our return.

* * *

3. welkin
(n) [WEL-kin]

Definition—the vault of heaven; the sky

THE SONG OF THE TOAD
John Burroughs

…For he can make the welkin ring, 
   And do it as his leisure.

 Wisps of the Welkin by Gary Roberts

7 comments:

bermudaonion said...

What great words. I've only heard lozenge used as a cough drop, so I had no idea it means a diamond-shaped figure. Thanks for participating!

Unknown said...

ditto on bermu re lozenges, but I guess it fits since many of them are squared up (i.e., diamond-shaped if you stand them on a point instead of a side)

I had a picture like that last one on my walls during college with Proverbs 23:5 framed up beside it.

Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

I'm gonna start posting that as a response every time I see one of these college students that I'm around talk about chasing paper, getting their hustle on, being married to money, money on their mind, etc.

gautami tripathy said...

Lozenge is also a hard boiled sweet!

Brook said...

Wow...I've actually knew one of your words - hogan...probably from the year of teaching fourth grade. :) Is this the whole of the poem The Tortoise in Eternity? I ask because I really like it and want to pass it on to my turtle/tortoise loving sister-in-law.

Margot at Joyfully Retired said...

I love the way you make your words appear so beautiful with the pictures. I probably said that week but it's true this week too.

Lisa notes... said...

Brook,
Here's the whole poem. Hope your s-i-l enjoys it. :-)

"The Tortoise in Eternity"
by Elinor Wylie

Within my house of patterned horn
I sleep in such a bed
As men may keep before they're born
And after they are dead.

Sticks and stones may break their bones,
And words may make them bleed;
There is not one of them who owns
An armour to his need.

Tougher than hide or lozenged bark,
Snow-storm and thunder proof,
And quick with sun, and thick with dark,
Is this my darling roof.

Men's troubled dreams of death and birth
Pulse mother-o'-pearl to black;
I hear the rainbow bubble Earth
Square on my scornful back.

ibeeeg said...

I like all of your words.
Very cool that you found them in poems.
It was neat to see what lozenge means as it conjures up a cough drop for me.

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