Letter From Birmingham Jail

Cognizant

(adj.) aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction

Appalling

(adj.) inspiring shock, horror, disgust (The judge found the murderer's crimes and lack of remorse appalling.)

Superficial

(adj.) on or near the surface; concerned with or understanding only what is on the surface, shallow

Provincial

(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony

Monologue

(n.) a speech by one actor; a long talk by one person

Moratorium

(n.) a suspension of activity; an official waiting period; an authorized period of delay

Articulate

(v.) To pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to fit together into a system; (adj.) able to use language effectively; expressed clearly and forcefully

Deplore

(v.) to feel or express regret or disapproval

Distort

(v.) to give a false or misleading account of; to twist out of shape

Concoct

(v.) to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as a dish); to devise, invent, fabricate

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality

Negotiation

A form of communication between opposing sides in a conflict in which offers and counteroffers are made and a solution occurs only when both parties agree

Macedonian

A heresy that said the Holy Spirit was created by Jesus and was subordinate to the Father and the Son.

Thalidomide

A mild tranquilizer that, taken early in pregnancy, can produce a variety of malformations of the limbs, eyes, ears, and heart.

Paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle.

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.

Dialogue

Conversation between two or more characters

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

St. Thomas Aquines

Dominican priest, had the gift of revelation, wrote one of the greatest works in Catholic theology called the Summa Theological

Status quo

Existing state or condition

Objective

Factual, related to reality or physical objects; not influenced by emotions, unbiased

Hypophora

Figure of reasoning in which one or more questions is/are asked and then answered, often at length, by one and the same speaker; raising and responding to one's own question(s).

St. Augustine

First spanish settlement. Florida 1565

Socrates

Greek philosopher; socratic method--questioning; sentenced to death for corrupting Athens youth

Interrelatedness

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all interrelated, and the ESL student may be at different levels within each of these 4 lang components; these all need to be taught at the same time, making computers important here

Unhampered

Not slowed or blocked or interfered with; not subject to restraint

Extremist

One who supports extreme measures or holds extreme views.

Good-faith negotiations

Parties agree to send negotiators who can bargain and make decisions Rather than people who do not have the authority to commit either group to a decision

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

By-Product

Something produced in the making of something else; a secondary result; a side effect.

Tension

Stress that stretches rock so that it becomes thinner in the middle

Alternative

The choice between two mutually exclusive possibilities, a situation presenting such a choice

Moral Law

The ethical code, authored and revealed by God and safeguarded by the Church, imposing obligations on the conscience of each person.

Inquiry

The search for information and explanation, often focusing on specific questions.

contrast

The state of being noticeably different from something else when put or considered together.

Stagnation

a discontinuation of development and a desire to recapture the past

Resentment

a feeling of anger or displeasure about someone or something unfair

Gadflies

a person who persistently annoys or provokes others with criticism, schemes, ideas, demands, requests, etc.

Pathos

a quality that evokes pity or sadness

misonception

a view or opinion that is incorrect because based on faulty thinking or understanding.

Prophetic

accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future

Logos

an appeal based on logic or reason

Affiliate

an associate; partner

Jurist

an expert in or writer on law.

Conscience

an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior.

garment

an item of clothing

Underlying

basic; fundamental; only noticeable under scrutiny

Bogged

cause (a vehicle, person, or animal) to become stuck in mud or wet ground.

inflicted

cause (something unpleasant or painful) to be suffered by someone or something.

Bewildering

confused, perplexed

Ethos

credibility

Gainsaying

declaring to be false; denying; opposing; contradicting

Degnerating

deteriorating, crumbling

Dramatize

dramatize (something) to make something seem more exciting or important than it really is Don't worry too much about what she said—she tends to dramatize things.

Appraisal

evaluation or estimation of worth

Excruciating

extremely painful

Notorious

famous for something bad

rhetorical question

figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer

Compelled

force or oblige (someone) to do something.

Unfettered

free from restrictions

Impunity

freedom from punishment or harm

Conniving

given to or involved in conspiring to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful.

Corroding

gradually destructive

Inevitably

impossible to avoid or prevent

Sublimely

impressing the mind with a sense of grandeur or power; inspiring awe, veneration, etc.

Ominous

menacing, threatening, indicating misfortune

Eloquent

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

Latent

present, but not active; hidden

alllusion

refers to something famous: a piece of literature, historical event, a person

Repudiated

rejected

Complacency

self-satisfaction; smugness

Segregated

separated or isolated from others or a main group

Constructive

serving a useful and positive purpose

Emphatic

showing or giving emphasis; expressing something forcibly and clearly

Juztaposition

side by side comparison of two or more things to highlight similarities and differences

parallelism/parallel structure

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses

Dondage

slavery or involuntary servitude; serfdom

Endurance

staying power; patience; stamina

Grapple

struggle

Oppressed

subject to harsh and authoritarian treatment

Ideologies

systems of thought and belief

Paternalistic

tending to supply the needs of or regulate the activities of those under one's control

Rhetoric

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.

Inferiority

the condition of being lower in status or quality than another or others.

Zeitgeist

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time

Audience

the listener, viewer, or reader of a text

Superiority

the quality of being better than others

Civil disobedience

the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest.

Mutuality

the sharing of a feeling, action, or relationship between two or more parties.

Direct Action

the use of strikes, demonstrations, or other public forms of protest rather than negotiation to achieve one's demands.

Engulfs

to completely surround or take over

Postpone

to do something at a time or date after it was originally planned

Concur

to express agreement, approve

Self-purification

to make one-self pure; to improve

Degrades

treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect.

Inescapable

unable to be avoided or denied

Futility

uselessness as a consequence of having no practical result

Bleakness

without hope or encouragement; depressing