Vocabulary in As imperceptibly as Grief

So slowly and gradually that it cannot be noticed or detected by the senses; happening in a way that is impossible to observe as it occurs.

Slipped away or faded out gradually over time, the way something ends not with a sudden stop but with a slow, quiet fading.

Gathered and concentrated into its purest, most refined form, as if the quietness had been carefully drawn out and made more intense.

The soft, dim light that appears just after sunset or just before sunrise; here used to suggest a long, slow fading of the day rather than a sudden darkness.

Politely well-mannered and considerate in behavior; here describing the way summer departs with quiet dignity rather than making a disruptive or dramatic exit.

Deeply distressing and painful in an emotional sense; causing a feeling of anguish or grief even when the outward manner appears calm and polite.

A quality of elegant, dignified ease in manner or movement; here it describes the smooth, effortless way summer withdraws, making its departure feel both beautiful and sorrowful.

The long structural beam running along the bottom of a ship that keeps it stable and steerable; used here to represent any vessel or means of deliberate, directed travel.

A quiet, effortless getaway that leaves no trace; the word 'light' here means weightless and unobtrusive, not the opposite of darkness.

An abstract realm or state of pure beauty, used here as a destination that summer slips into — suggesting that what is lost does not simply vanish but passes into something transcendent.