Once More to the Lake

Analyze one or more of White’s descriptions of the lake itself. What do these descriptions tell us about White’s feelings towards the lake and what literary or stylistic techniques does he use to communicate those feelings?

Despite the changes White describes, he is insistent that the lake and its surroundings have remained more or less the same since his childhood visits. Do these insistences seem sincere to you? Why does White emphasize the importance of consistency in the face of change?

White describes many things occurring in cycles—his return to the lake and the thunderstorm at the end of the essay, for example. Describe what White achieves by describing recurrent events by analyzing one or more example from the text.

White repeatedly uses spiritual language to describe the lake. Locate some instances in which White uses spiritual or religious language and explain what this language tells us about White’s attitude towards the lake.

Throughout the essay, White notes the many ways in which modern technology and culture have changed the lake. How would you characterize White’s attitude to these changes and, more broadly, what commentary does he offer about modern technology and culture at large?