| Term | Definition |
|---|
| allegory | a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one : Pilgrim's Progress is an ___ of the spiritual journey. |
| polemical | argumentative. of, relating to, or involving strongly critical, controversial, or disputatious writing or speech |
| stanza | a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem; a verse. |
| ecclesiastical | of or relating to the Christian Church or its clergy |
| specter | a terrifying ghost |
| dissipation | squandering of money, energy, or resources |
| altruism | the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others : some may choose to work with vulnerable elderly people |
| occident | the countries of the West, esp. Europe and the Americas (contrasted with orient ) |
| idyllic | (esp. of a time or place) like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque : an attractive hotel in an idyllic setting. |
| microcosm | a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger : Berlin is a __ of Germany, in unity as in division. |
| irony | the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect : "Don't go overboard with the gratitude," he rejoined with heavy ___. |
| secular | 1 denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis. Contrasted with sacred . |
| subversive | seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution |
| eschatology | n. the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind. |
| dialectic | n. the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinion. Greeks used ___ to refer to various methods of reasoning and discussion in order to discover the truth. |
| dialectical | adj. concerned with or acting through opposing forces : a ___ opposition between social convention and individual libertarianism. |
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