In my last post, I promised that reading and memorizing poetry would improve your vocabulary. Then the very next day I read a classic poem, via my Poem a Day emails, and I had to look up three new words! Told ya!
If you have new words from reading that you’d like to share, join us at Bermuda Onion for Wondrous Words Wednesday. Write a post with an interesting word and link up, or visit the posts of other word nerds.
On Saturday, Poets.org delivered On Virtue by Phillis Wheatley. This poem is in the public domain, so I may quote part of it here:
Auspicious queen, thine heav’nly pinions spread,
And lead celestial Chastity along:
Lo! Now her sacred retinue decends,
Array’d in glory from the orbs above.
Although I had to look up pinions and appellation too, the word I’m focusing on today is:
Retinue \’re-tǝ-nü\ noun from Anglo-French retenir to retain
- A group of helpers, supporters, or followers.
In this poem, I think Wheatley pines for a closer connection to Virtue and personifies her as a glorious angel figure.
Word Nerd Workout
Can you use retinue in a sentence? Here’s my try:
The young Leo DiCaprio always brought a retinue on location with him when shooting movies.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Have you read a poem today? It just takes a few minutes.
Julia
Another good one!
I had an idea of retinue’s meaning and think of it in conjunction with a rock star or actor as well. Sting’s retinue was so large, they took up the whole restaurant.
The candidates running for the presidency will have a retinue of people traveling with them.