Once more to the Lake

     Once More to the Lake by E. B. White is a narrative essay describing a trip to a lake he visited with his father as a kid, this time taking his son. The entire time he's there, he compares his experiences then to now, and how time doesn't seem to touch this place, despite it being many years since he had last been there. . White also talks about how he is constantly questioning who he is; if he is his son, or his father.

     E. B. White's purpose in writing Once More to the Lake was to entertain the reader with a story, and he makes it incredibly entertaining to read by paying attention to the minute details, such as describing how the store that used to sell many different beverages, now only sells Coca-Cola. The use of figurative language is vital in this writing style as well, which is especially apparent during the thunderstorm, where White uses an extended metaphor to compare a thunderstorm to drums, describing it as, "...the kettle drum, then the snare, then the bass drum and cymbals." (E. B. White, 184) White also uses imagery as a powerful tool, as he continues to describe the storm, saying, "then crackling lights against dark, and the gods grinning and licking their chops in the hills." (E. B. White, 184) This spectacular example if imagery perfectly paints a picture in the readers head, of Gods watching a battle between light and dark unfold in the lake's valley. 

A large lake in a valley surrounded by mountains, very much like the one White might've visited as a child
Photo Credit

     This essay was written for an older audience, parents that can relate to White's position. However, the use of figurative language and the descriptive mode of writing allows just about anybody to read and enjoy the essay, because they can imagine themselves at that lake, enjoying the calm aura that surrounds the lake. This makes White incredibly successful in achieving his purpose, as he made an essay enjoyable for anybody.