“Once more to the lake” In E
“Once more to the lake”
In E.B White’s essay “Once more to the lake” he captures the nature of his trip and I felt that his essay is a great example of a creative non-fiction.
White uses literary techniques such as imagery, metaphors, connotation, and tone to illustrate the comparison of the lake as he remembers it as a boy to subtle changes it has faced since he has been away and to give a deeper meaning than a mere vacation. He also, very frequently, describes recent experiences and then relates them closely to his past experiences. Which brings up seemingly forgotten memories he had not known he could remember, due to the fact that they were old. I believe that his use of these comparisons contributes to this essays theme of embracing the passage of time and the ability to comprehend one’s own mortality. By typing in past and present relationships, White is able to create a connection between facts and his emotions he creates an emotional connection, which further draws the reader in, making he or she care about the story.
“Two views of the Mississippi”
In this beautifully written article, Mark twain compares two different views of a person about the Mississippi river. I feel that this article can be viewed two different ways. First, I picked up on a romantic notion. In a romantic view, this river is full of marvelous and elegant events and features. Every moment of viewing the Mississippi river’s scene has its own sense of beauty and color which can fill the person with joy and happiness. For example, he has compared the single leaf of the bough with a flame in the unobstructed splendor which makes the scene more romantic and imaginable. On the other hand, he describes a view to state comments that are full of information without mentioning any sign of beauty in the river.
I think the main theme is that everyone sees a subject from his/her point of view, which sometimes leads to loosing the beauty and magic of a specific subject. As twain says ” What does the lovely flush in a beauty’s cheek mean to a doctor but a “break” that ripples above some deadly disease?” basically saying we can look at the red cheek of a beautiful patient and as a doctor we would neglect the beauty of her face. After reading this chapter, I thought about times where I’ve ignored the beauty of an area. For example driving to work and ignoring the beauty of the trees and sunshine. I really enjoyed reading this chapter, in a way, gives a deeper meaning of perception.
