"Once More to the Lake" is an essay first published in Harper's magazine in 1941 by the author E.B. White. White is well known for his advocating a respect for nature and simple living. In this essay, White tells about his trip back to a childhood vacation spot---a lake in Maine. The trip sent his imagination back, and also in turn evoked White’s love for nature placidity. The essay is well written; and it is White’s writing techniques, the detailed descriptions in particular, that unlock readers’ imagination, bring readers into one picture after another, and meanwhile, make readers fall in love with the natural beauty. Examples can be given in the static and dynamic characteristics of the lake respectively.
A Static Scene
White, just like a movie director, together with his magical camera, captures the beauty of the lake. He gives readers an amazing picture of the holy spot. Started from the distant shot, the background of the picture is really fantastic: “fade-proof lake”, “unshatterable wood”, “pasture with the sweet-fern and the juniper”. As the camera lens goes closer and closer, the design of the picture is laid out in front of readers: “the cottages with their innocent and tranquil design”, “the tiny docks with the flagpole”, “the American flag floating against the white clouds in the blue sky.” And at last, the movie director gives a close-up on the little paths, “the can of lime for sprinkling”, and “the miniature birch-bark canoes”, which all have been so familiar to White.
The specific images, together with the strong comparison of colors, create a clean but sharp picture. It seems that all of the objects have never been unacquainted--it is a place in the memory, in the dream, with feeling of placidity. Or readers may find that all of these unique objects have created a canvas, glowing with a love of the nature beauty.
A Dynamic Scene
The vacation on the lake was full of fun, even when the weather was not so good. When the thunderstorm came up, the whole world seemed to reach the climax--“an old melodrama” was on show. Again, White uses vivid descriptions to demonstrate the beauty of nature.
The color of the sky was darkening, the whole world lulled, with rhythm. Then it came the song of nature--“the kettle drum, then the snare, then the bass drum and cymbals, then crackling light against the dark, and the gods grinning and licking their chops in the hills.” The onomatopoeia of the sound of the thunder is fabulous, making readers feel like being personally on the scene. And you can feel that White’s love for nature is radiating; but the song is just the overture for the show. In the thunderstorm show, cruelty is not the theme, but the crazy fun--“the campers running out in joy and relief to go swimming in the rain, their bright cries perpetuating the deathless joke… and the children screaming with delight at the new sensation of bathing in the rain, …” The verbs “running”, “swimming”, “crying” serve well to reemerge the joy of human beings--human beings and the environment are in such a harmonious beauty.
All the details are used to evoke a response in readers to produce an effective description. Similarly, in this essay, by using specific words and detailed descriptions, White successfully creates vivid pictures of his trip to the beautiful lake, from his arrival to lying in bed the first morning, from the fishing time to the sound of inboard motors and so on. More importantly, White does not only simply tell readers what something looks like but also show readers, which unlocks readers’ imagination and stimulates their love for nature. It is this writing technique, detailed description that makes the essay a flavorful art.
