splendid / majestic / imposing

clever

(literally) a beautiful single red flower that blooms within a field of trees and grass / (figuratively) something unique that stands out among many other things

You should treasure every encounter, for it will never recur.

vicissitudes, the way that the world or a person prospers one day and declines the next

dotting the i's and crossing the t's

successive series of questions and responses

a lie / carelessly

wish / hope / desire

decrease / decline / wear down