Passage one starts with a simplistic description of the Okefenokee Swamp, if not careful the reader could be lulled to sleep by the formal style of the author, with the bland description of the “25 mi wide and 40 mi long, covering more than 600 sq mi”. Exciting …show more content…
Something that both of the passages used in order to achieve their purpose is the use of vivid imagery. “Sandy ridges, wet grassy savannas, small islands...or dark water areas covered by undergrowth and trees “ This paints the image of an oasis, a harmonious place separated from the rest of the world where nature has been undisturbed, somewhere that someone could go to get away from all their troubles. The choice to use the word festooned when describing the Spanish moss on the bald cypress trees makes it seem that the moss was decoratively spread out on the trees, in order to enhance the beauty of the place and make it more appealing. This pattern of natural beauty continues as the author describes the “meandering channels of open water… exotic flowers among them floating hearts, lilies and rare orchid abound”. Not only are flowers universally a sign of beauty, but the use of the words exotic and rare makes the reader want to visit the swamp because the flowers are depicted as a sight to behold. Abundant as an adjective to wildlife …show more content…
From the start, the author utilizes words like; “vast and primeval, unfathomable, unconquerable,” all in order to give the swamp a wild feel, which in turn discourages travel. The author also alludes to the Hollywood swamp movies, which continues to discourage travel as swamps were presented in the movies as a place where tragedy occurs. The author choosing the words “Stinging, biting, and boring”,to describe the insects and even uglier words like decompose and deliquesce, which are all displeasing to the ear, add to the ugliness of the swamp. Unappealing. Both of the passages go in depth about the animals, though the second passage details the ways that they can hurt someone, first stating the number of each species then that they are, “all variously equipped with beaks, talons, claws, teeth, stingers, and fangs”. Dangerous. “Seething galaxies of gnats and deer flies and no-see-ums, the ticks, that all compound the misery of life”, create a descriptive enough sound so the reader can already hear the buzzing of the swamp. Irritating. In comparison to the first passage, the second passage puts the swamps most dangerous predator front and center the alligator, listing more dangerous animals than the first including, “pumas, bobcats, and bowfin”. Deadly. “Stink and sniff, caterwauling and screeching”, appeal to the natural senses, but at the same time making them out to be worse than they really are.