Andrew Marvell: Poems

Andrew Marvell: Poems Glossary

Caledonian

The Roman term for Northern Britain, commonly used to describe Scotland.

Cloister

A convent of nuns who live away from the public world and devote themselves to a life of holy worship.

Closes

enclosed fields or meadows.

Corslet

A piece of defensive armor that covers the body.

Deodand

An object, thing, or entity that worshippers forfeited to God when they felt he played a role in the death of a human. Deodands could be animals, tools, or other forms of private property.

Descry

To reveal or make known, usually referring to something that has previously been hidden.

Ensign

A flag or banner displayed for military purposes. It can also refer to the officer who carries the flag into battle.

Falchion

A short, broad sword.

Fancy

the imagination, illusory image, or a personal inclination.

Magnanimous

Generous or forgiving in large proportions, especially toward someone who is less fortunate or socially inferior.

Nymph

A mythological creature with semi-divine powers, who usually inhabits fountains, rivers, trees, or caves.

Officious

Eager to please, attentive, and kind.

Planisphere

Marvell’s paradoxical term to describe the round Earth being compressed into a flat plane.

Prelate

A high-ranking official in the clergy, usually in the Anglican Church

Profane

unholy or blasphemous.

Scaffold

A platform used for public execution or a theatrical stage.

Seraglio

An Italian word for an enclosed, private space, a harem or a place of confinement for women in an Ottoman home.

Sourdine

A mute or soft stop placed upon an instrument such as a trumpet or violin.

Toril

A pen where bulls are kept before they enter the ring to fight.

Wanton

Violent or excessively cruel, or sexually promiscuous.

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