Glossary of Definitions for Vocabulary Harvest #7

hyperbole (n.) – deliberate exaggeration designed to achieve a rhetorical effect

anaphora (n.) – repetition of the same word or words at the beginnings of sentences.  [King makes regular anaphora “In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted on the Negro… In the midst of a mighty struggle…” (p. 271)]  or [“I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police… I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen… (pp. 272-273]   Look for other examples of anaphora in King’s “Letter.”

antimetabole (n.)  -- a “mirror-image” sentence such as JFK's famous “Ask not what your country can do for you; instead ask what you can do for your country.”

pernicious (adj.)  -- harmful or injurious in a way that is not easily noticed;  subtly or secretly harmful

paternalistic (adj.) – from a father’s perspective, often condescendingly

precipitate (v.) – to cause, to incite, to trigger

elegy (n.) – a song or poem expressing sorrow or lamentation when someone has died.  (...not to be confused with 'eulogy', which is a speech delivered when someone dies.)

repudiate (v.) – to reject, to spurn, to refuse to accept.  “Dr. King publicly repudiated the values and principles espoused by city officials of Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.”

pious (adj.) – devoutly observant of religious principles; sanctimonious

infanticide (n.) – the murder of children

sublime (adj.) – extraordinarily beautiful or profound

scintillating (participial adj.) – fascinating, sparkling, brightly shining.