august
Worthy of a respect beyond reproach.
bleared
Having been made difficult to see or blurry.
cleaving
Splitting apart as if ripping in twain, or, to come together.
consummation
The act of official completion; the context here refers to sexual union between a bride and groom following the wedding ceremony, thus legally sanctioning the ceremonial ritual.
convergence
A merging or coming together.
dissociate
To cause or be made to separate from something.
dumb
In this context, an outmoded term for "incapable of speech," rather than a lack of intelligence.
fashioning
The process of being constructed or designed.
gaily
Done in an especially lighthearted manner.
gilded
Covered in a very thin layer of gold.
immanent
An infinitely pervasive force capable of sustaining the will of the fates. A force whose reach expands to the boundaries of the universe, but does not exceed them.
indifferent
A cold but not necessarily intentionally callous lack of care or concern.
lyres
Ancient musical instruments essentially equivalent to a harp one can hold in one's hand.
opulent
Used here as a synonym for "the wealthy," can also mean lavish and luxurious.
pyres
Ceremonial fires often associated with funerals.
ravish
To overcome a person or object with a powerful and palpable sense of desire and need.
sensuous
Describing how one relates to something through the senses rather than the intellect. Not to be confused with sensual, which has sexual overtones.
thrid
To pass through a narrow chamber like a thread through the eye of a needle.
twain
An outdated synonym for “two” usually used in reference to being split or torn apart.
vaingloriousness
A profoundly and sensuously experienced feeling of pride at one’s own accomplishments, often with a subtext that the pride is misplaced.
vanity
An excessive sense of pride.
