Precis: Once More to the Lake
Once More to the Lake precis
E.B. White reflects on his return back to the lake from when he was a boy. This was his ideal vacation spot when he was a boy. He found great joy in the visit, which ironically causes himself to struggle that he is now a man. White was engaged in an internal struggle between acting and viewing the lake as he did when he was a boy and acting and viewing it as an adult… or maybe in a way as his father did. Although White sees the lake identical to what it was as a boy, all of the new technology tarnished his experience and the new boats take away the serene atmosphere of the lake. Throughout the essay, White writes that he often finds himself “seeing the lake through his son’s eyes”. This is due to the similiarities of the lakes at the present time compared to his childhood memory of the lake. For example, White says he had gone fishing as a boy and that as his rod was out, a dragonfly would often land on it. Then when White took his son to the same place doing the same activity, this same thing happened. This essay also shows White’s realization of the life cycle. White takes his father’s place on the trip as his son takes his place when he was a boy. The tone of this excerpt is kind of melancholy when the great pass time he had wasn’t as great and magical anymore like he once did. It’s also melancholy when he realizes how much time has flown by. There’s also nostalgia when White refers to his times at the lake when he was a boy. A hint of imagery takes place when White says, “I remembered being very careful never to rub my paddle against the gunwale for fear of disturbing the stillness of the cathedral.” This essay was written in very good detail, especially when he’s describing his past time and the present of it.
Vocabulary:
Teeming: abounding or swarming with something, as with people
Sarsaparilla: a soda flavored with an extract of this root
Tone: Melancholy, a little humor, and nostalgia
Literary devices:
E.B. White reflects on his return back to the lake from when he was a boy. This was his ideal vacation spot when he was a boy. He found great joy in the visit, which ironically causes himself to struggle that he is now a man. White was engaged in an internal struggle between acting and viewing the lake as he did when he was a boy and acting and viewing it as an adult… or maybe in a way as his father did. Although White sees the lake identical to what it was as a boy, all of the new technology tarnished his experience and the new boats take away the serene atmosphere of the lake. Throughout the essay, White writes that he often finds himself “seeing the lake through his son’s eyes”. This is due to the similiarities of the lakes at the present time compared to his childhood memory of the lake. For example, White says he had gone fishing as a boy and that as his rod was out, a dragonfly would often land on it. Then when White took his son to the same place doing the same activity, this same thing happened. This essay also shows White’s realization of the life cycle. White takes his father’s place on the trip as his son takes his place when he was a boy. The tone of this excerpt is kind of melancholy when the great pass time he had wasn’t as great and magical anymore like he once did. It’s also melancholy when he realizes how much time has flown by. There’s also nostalgia when White refers to his times at the lake when he was a boy. A hint of imagery takes place when White says, “I remembered being very careful never to rub my paddle against the gunwale for fear of disturbing the stillness of the cathedral.” This essay was written in very good detail, especially when he’s describing his past time and the present of it.
Vocabulary:
Teeming: abounding or swarming with something, as with people
Sarsaparilla: a soda flavored with an extract of this root
Tone: Melancholy, a little humor, and nostalgia
Literary devices: