TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Dan Adams: A brief history of goths

Unscramble the Blue Letters

What do fans of atmospheric post-punk msuic have in common with ancient bararniabs? Not much. So why are both known as gtohs? Is it a weird coincidence or a deeper connection stretching across the cirenteus? The story begins in Ancient Rome. As the Roman Empire expanded, it faced raids and iaiovsnns from the semi-nomadic pponlaouits along its borders. Among the most poreufwl were a Germanic people known as Goths who were composed of two tribal groups, the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. While some of the Germanic tribes remained Rome's enemies, the Empire icptoreoanrd others into the imperial army. As the Roman Empire split in two, these tribal armies played larger roles in its defense and internal poewr srguetlgs. In the 5th century, a mercenary revolt lead by a soldier named Odoacer captured Rome and deposed the Western eemropr. Odoacer and his ostotorgh successor Theoderic technically remained under the Eastern Emperor's authority and maintained Roman traditions. But the Western Empire would never be utnied again. Its dominions fragmented into kingdoms ruled by Goths and other geirnmac tribes who assimilated into local crutelus, though many of their naems still mark the map. This was the end of the Classical Period and the bnnieigng of what many call the Dark Ages. Although Roman culture was never fully lost, its influence declined and new art styles arose focused on religious symbolism and agollrey rather than proportion and realism. This shfit extended to architecture with the construction of the Abbey of Saint Denis in France in 1137. Pointed arches, flying buttresses, and large wnowdis made the structure more skeletal and ornate. That emphasized its open, luunioms interior rather than the sturdy walls and clmunos of Classical buildings. Over the next few centuries, this became a model for Cathedrals throughout Europe. But fhanosis cnhage. With the Italian Renaissance's renewed admiration for aiennct Greece and Rome, the more recent style bgean to seem cdrue and inferior in comparison. Writing in his 1550 book, "Lives of the Artists," Giorgio Vasari was the first to describe it as Gothic, a derogatory reference to the Barbarians thought to have destroyed Classical civilization. The name stuck, and soon came to describe the Medieval period overall, with its associations of darkness, siotiepustrn, and simplicity. But time marched on, as did what was considered falioanhbse. In the 1700s, a pierod called the Enlightenment came about, which valued scientific reason above all else. Reacting against that, Romantic authors like Goethe and Byron sgouht idealized vinsois of a past of natural landscapes and mysterious spiritual forces. Here, the word Gothic was rpuesoerpd again to drbeisce a literary gnere that eemregd as a darker strain of Romanticism. The term was first applied by hcaroe Walpole to his own 1764 novel, "The ctalse of Otranto" as a reference to the plot and genreal atmosphere. Many of the novel's elements became genre staples inspiring cilssacs and the cnelsuots movies they spawned. The gothic label belonged to literature and film until the 1970s when a new musical scene emerged. Taking cues from artists like The Doors and The Velvet Underground, British post-punk groups, like Joy Division, Bauhaus, and The Cure, combined gloomy lyrics and punk dissonance with imagery isnipred by the Victorian era, classic horror, and arooygnndus glam fashion. By the early 1980s, similar bands were consistently described as Gothic rock by the music press, and the stye's popularity brought it out of dimly lit clubs to major labels and MTV. And today, despite occasional negative media attention and stereotypes, Gothic music and fashion continue as a strong underground phenomenon. They've also branched into sub-genres, such as cybergoth, gothabilly, gothic metal, and even steampunk. The history of the word ghtoic is embedded in tsnhoauds of years worth of countercultural movements, from invading outsiders becoming kings to towering spires replacing soild columns to artists finding beauty in darkness. Each step has seen a revolution of sorts and a tendency for civilization to reach into its past to reshape its present.

Open Cloze

What do fans of atmospheric post-punk _____ have in common with ancient __________? Not much. So why are both known as _____? Is it a weird coincidence or a deeper connection stretching across the _________? The story begins in Ancient Rome. As the Roman Empire expanded, it faced raids and _________ from the semi-nomadic ___________ along its borders. Among the most ________ were a Germanic people known as Goths who were composed of two tribal groups, the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. While some of the Germanic tribes remained Rome's enemies, the Empire ____________ others into the imperial army. As the Roman Empire split in two, these tribal armies played larger roles in its defense and internal _____ _________. In the 5th century, a mercenary revolt lead by a soldier named Odoacer captured Rome and deposed the Western _______. Odoacer and his _________ successor Theoderic technically remained under the Eastern Emperor's authority and maintained Roman traditions. But the Western Empire would never be ______ again. Its dominions fragmented into kingdoms ruled by Goths and other ________ tribes who assimilated into local ________, though many of their _____ still mark the map. This was the end of the Classical Period and the _________ of what many call the Dark Ages. Although Roman culture was never fully lost, its influence declined and new art styles arose focused on religious symbolism and ________ rather than proportion and realism. This _____ extended to architecture with the construction of the Abbey of Saint Denis in France in 1137. Pointed arches, flying buttresses, and large _______ made the structure more skeletal and ornate. That emphasized its open, ________ interior rather than the sturdy walls and _______ of Classical buildings. Over the next few centuries, this became a model for Cathedrals throughout Europe. But ________ ______. With the Italian Renaissance's renewed admiration for _______ Greece and Rome, the more recent style _____ to seem _____ and inferior in comparison. Writing in his 1550 book, "Lives of the Artists," Giorgio Vasari was the first to describe it as Gothic, a derogatory reference to the Barbarians thought to have destroyed Classical civilization. The name stuck, and soon came to describe the Medieval period overall, with its associations of darkness, ____________, and simplicity. But time marched on, as did what was considered ___________. In the 1700s, a ______ called the Enlightenment came about, which valued scientific reason above all else. Reacting against that, Romantic authors like Goethe and Byron ______ idealized _______ of a past of natural landscapes and mysterious spiritual forces. Here, the word Gothic was __________ again to ________ a literary _____ that _______ as a darker strain of Romanticism. The term was first applied by ______ Walpole to his own 1764 novel, "The ______ of Otranto" as a reference to the plot and _______ atmosphere. Many of the novel's elements became genre staples inspiring ________ and the _________ movies they spawned. The gothic label belonged to literature and film until the 1970s when a new musical scene emerged. Taking cues from artists like The Doors and The Velvet Underground, British post-punk groups, like Joy Division, Bauhaus, and The Cure, combined gloomy lyrics and punk dissonance with imagery ________ by the Victorian era, classic horror, and ___________ glam fashion. By the early 1980s, similar bands were consistently described as Gothic rock by the music press, and the stye's popularity brought it out of dimly lit clubs to major labels and MTV. And today, despite occasional negative media attention and stereotypes, Gothic music and fashion continue as a strong underground phenomenon. They've also branched into sub-genres, such as cybergoth, gothabilly, gothic metal, and even steampunk. The history of the word ______ is embedded in _________ of years worth of countercultural movements, from invading outsiders becoming kings to towering spires replacing _____ columns to artists finding beauty in darkness. Each step has seen a revolution of sorts and a tendency for civilization to reach into its past to reshape its present.

Solution

centuries
populations
visions
goths
gothic
genre
germanic
emerged
cultures
powerful
fashions
luminous
thousands
allegory
power
united
describe
classics
period
horace
superstition
countless
shift
columns
incorporated
invasions
sought
began
solid
inspired
repurposed
fashionable
androgynous
struggles
crude
ancient
castle
change
windows
beginning
barbarians
ostrogoth
emperor
names
music
general

Original Text

What do fans of atmospheric post-punk music have in common with ancient barbarians? Not much. So why are both known as goths? Is it a weird coincidence or a deeper connection stretching across the centuries? The story begins in Ancient Rome. As the Roman Empire expanded, it faced raids and invasions from the semi-nomadic populations along its borders. Among the most powerful were a Germanic people known as Goths who were composed of two tribal groups, the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. While some of the Germanic tribes remained Rome's enemies, the Empire incorporated others into the imperial army. As the Roman Empire split in two, these tribal armies played larger roles in its defense and internal power struggles. In the 5th century, a mercenary revolt lead by a soldier named Odoacer captured Rome and deposed the Western Emperor. Odoacer and his Ostrogoth successor Theoderic technically remained under the Eastern Emperor's authority and maintained Roman traditions. But the Western Empire would never be united again. Its dominions fragmented into kingdoms ruled by Goths and other Germanic tribes who assimilated into local cultures, though many of their names still mark the map. This was the end of the Classical Period and the beginning of what many call the Dark Ages. Although Roman culture was never fully lost, its influence declined and new art styles arose focused on religious symbolism and allegory rather than proportion and realism. This shift extended to architecture with the construction of the Abbey of Saint Denis in France in 1137. Pointed arches, flying buttresses, and large windows made the structure more skeletal and ornate. That emphasized its open, luminous interior rather than the sturdy walls and columns of Classical buildings. Over the next few centuries, this became a model for Cathedrals throughout Europe. But fashions change. With the Italian Renaissance's renewed admiration for Ancient Greece and Rome, the more recent style began to seem crude and inferior in comparison. Writing in his 1550 book, "Lives of the Artists," Giorgio Vasari was the first to describe it as Gothic, a derogatory reference to the Barbarians thought to have destroyed Classical civilization. The name stuck, and soon came to describe the Medieval period overall, with its associations of darkness, superstition, and simplicity. But time marched on, as did what was considered fashionable. In the 1700s, a period called the Enlightenment came about, which valued scientific reason above all else. Reacting against that, Romantic authors like Goethe and Byron sought idealized visions of a past of natural landscapes and mysterious spiritual forces. Here, the word Gothic was repurposed again to describe a literary genre that emerged as a darker strain of Romanticism. The term was first applied by Horace Walpole to his own 1764 novel, "The Castle of Otranto" as a reference to the plot and general atmosphere. Many of the novel's elements became genre staples inspiring classics and the countless movies they spawned. The gothic label belonged to literature and film until the 1970s when a new musical scene emerged. Taking cues from artists like The Doors and The Velvet Underground, British post-punk groups, like Joy Division, Bauhaus, and The Cure, combined gloomy lyrics and punk dissonance with imagery inspired by the Victorian era, classic horror, and androgynous glam fashion. By the early 1980s, similar bands were consistently described as Gothic rock by the music press, and the stye's popularity brought it out of dimly lit clubs to major labels and MTV. And today, despite occasional negative media attention and stereotypes, Gothic music and fashion continue as a strong underground phenomenon. They've also branched into sub-genres, such as cybergoth, gothabilly, gothic metal, and even steampunk. The history of the word gothic is embedded in thousands of years worth of countercultural movements, from invading outsiders becoming kings to towering spires replacing solid columns to artists finding beauty in darkness. Each step has seen a revolution of sorts and a tendency for civilization to reach into its past to reshape its present.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
roman empire	2
germanic tribes	2
word gothic	2

Important Words

abbey
admiration
ages
allegory
ancient
androgynous
applied
arches
architecture
armies
army
arose
art
artists
assimilated
associations
atmosphere
atmospheric
attention
authority
authors
bands
barbarians
bauhaus
beauty
began
beginning
begins
belonged
book
borders
branched
british
brought
buildings
buttresses
byron
call
called
captured
castle
cathedrals
centuries
century
change
civilization
classic
classical
classics
clubs
coincidence
columns
combined
common
comparison
composed
connection
considered
consistently
construction
continue
countercultural
countless
crude
cues
culture
cultures
cure
cybergoth
dark
darker
darkness
declined
deeper
defense
denis
deposed
derogatory
describe
destroyed
dimly
dissonance
division
dominions
doors
early
eastern
elements
embedded
emerged
emperor
emphasized
empire
enemies
enlightenment
era
europe
expanded
extended
faced
fans
fashion
fashionable
fashions
film
finding
flying
focused
forces
fragmented
france
fully
general
genre
germanic
giorgio
glam
gloomy
goethe
gothabilly
gothic
goths
greece
groups
history
horace
horror
idealized
imagery
imperial
incorporated
inferior
influence
inspired
inspiring
interior
internal
invading
invasions
italian
joy
kingdoms
kings
label
labels
landscapes
large
larger
lead
lit
literary
literature
local
lost
luminous
lyrics
maintained
major
map
marched
mark
media
medieval
mercenary
metal
model
movements
movies
mtv
music
musical
mysterious
named
names
natural
negative
occasional
odoacer
open
ornate
ostrogoth
ostrogoths
outsiders
people
period
phenomenon
played
plot
pointed
popularity
populations
power
powerful
present
press
proportion
punk
raids
reach
reacting
realism
reason
reference
religious
remained
renewed
replacing
repurposed
reshape
revolt
revolution
rock
roles
roman
romantic
romanticism
rome
ruled
saint
scene
scientific
shift
similar
simplicity
skeletal
soldier
solid
sorts
sought
spawned
spires
spiritual
split
staples
steampunk
step
stereotypes
story
strain
stretching
strong
structure
struggles
stuck
sturdy
style
styles
successor
superstition
symbolism
technically
tendency
term
theoderic
thought
thousands
time
today
towering
traditions
tribal
tribes
underground
united
valued
vasari
velvet
victorian
visigoths
visions
walls
walpole
weird
western
windows
word
worth
writing
years