Blog #1: Annie Dillard Passage Insight

In Annie Dillard’s Seeing, I am drawn to the passage, "Unfortunately, nature is very much a now-you-see-it, now-you-don't affair. A fish flashes, then dissolves in the water before my eyes like so much salt. Deer apparently ascend bodily into heaven; the brightest oriole fades into leaves." By providing three different examples of fleeting subjects, specifically three diverse animals, Dillard allows the reader to clearly visualize nature's ephemeral quality. In fact, utilizing action verbs, like flashing, dissolving, ascending, and fading brings the actions of these animals to life. The animals become living creatures as opposed to stationary beings. Further, the insertion of a simile about the dissolving of the fish provides deeper vivid imagery to support what Dillard is trying to convey. She is advancing one step further in an attempt to captivate the exact nature of the fish. In fact, Dillard also incorporates alliteration, providing rhythm to her language, as well as adverbs, like bodily, and adjectives, like brightest, creating richer descriptions. Lastly, Dillard interestingly begins her entire statement with the word, “unfortunately,” followed by a comma. This tactic serves to add some personal insight, linking the text specifically back to Dillard’s own personality and own opinion. Also, this pause, which creates a rest for the reader, strategically sets up the tone of the statement about to be stated. Overall, Dillard captures the transitory essence of nature through vivid imagery, action verbs, and poetic literary devices.