Word: zest
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Dates: during 1900-1909
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...subject in a sprightly manner. He obviously aims at novelty of expression, and sometimes hits the mark. The author of "The Best of It," has, on the other hand, conspicuously failed. Turning to the morally pestilential life of a certain watering place, here called Nouvean Isle, he recounts with zest an incident which, though improbable, might have been made amusing. He is, however, so lacking in narrative skill that at the critical moment he does not present his leaf-clad personages vividly. Occasionally,--for example, when dwelling upon the physical peculiarities of middle age,--he comes perilously near coarseness. What...
Here deeper thoughts will sometimes flow, And Harvard's Past set hearts aglow With zest to add to the valiant row Of her royal fellowship...
...loved the art of words and the appearances of life," he once wrote, and in this sentence is contained the answer to the question. He was peculiarly a word artist, a writer of surpassing skill in rhetorical effect. He "loved the appearances of men"; he had a keen zest for romantic adventure, a keen curiosity concerning the lives and characters of men, and, above all, a sensitive appreciation of the romantic in scenery and history. The one weakness in his work arose from the way in which he learned to write. It was his habit to attempt to copy...
Enterprise is a hazard of new fortunes and requires faith, not knowledge. The zest of life largely grows out of the uncertainty which surrounds us. The faculties must be alert to receive opportunities as they come and faith must be exercised when the time is ripe. To be able to do this, it is necessary to have fertility of resource, modesty, and courage...