coruscate (v) -- to give forth flashes of light; sparkle and glitter

vicarious (adj.) -- felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another: the vicarious feeling of death's impending presence Rupert felt in reading The Thin Red Line by James Jones

incarnate (adj.) -- invested with bodily nature and form

usurp (v) -- to seize and hold (the power or rights of another, for example) by force or without legal authority

aphorism (n) -- a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage

terse (adj.) -- brief and to the point; effectively concise

verboten (adj.) -- forbidden; prohibited

cathartic (adj.) -- inducing catharsis; purgative
(n) -- an agent for purging the bowels, especially a laxative

catharsis (n) -- a purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, described by Aristotle as an effect of tragic drama on its audience