Question

Read the following passage from Muir's "Calypso Borealis" and respond to the prompt.

[2] The rarest and most beautiful of the flowering plants I discovered on this first grand excursion was Calypso borealis (the Hider of the North). I had been fording streams more and more difficult to cross and wading bogs and swamps that seemed more and more extensive and more difficult to force one's way through. Entering one of these great tamarac and arbor-vitae swamps one morning, holding a general though very crooked course by compass, struggling through tangled drooping branches and over and under broad heaps of fallen trees, I began to fear that I would not be able to reach dry ground before dark, and therefore would have to pass the night in the swamp and began, faint and hungry, to plan a nest of branches on one of the largest trees or windfalls like a monkey's nest, or eagle's, or Indian's in the flooded forests of the Orinoco described by Humboldt.

[3] But when the sun was getting low and everything seemed most bewildering and discouraging, I found beautiful Calypso on the mossy bank of a stream, growing not in the ground but on a bed of yellow mosses in which its small white bulb had found a soft nest and from which its one leaf and one flower sprung. The flower was white and made the impression of the utmost simple purity like a snowflower. No other bloom was near it, for the bog a short distance below the surface was still frozen, and the water was ice cold. It seemed the most spiritual of all the flower people I had ever met. I sat down beside it and fairly cried for joy.

How do authors communicate their tone in a piece of writing? Identify the tone (or tones) of this passage. Explain how the tone(s) is created, providing at least two examples from the passage and explaining how each contributes specifically to the tone(s) you identified. Your response should be a paragraph of 5–7 sentences.

Answer 1

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Step-by-step explanation:

ngl I swear I’ve already done this so I’m getting weird nostalgic vibes but here:

Authors communicate their tone in a piece of writing through word choice, sentence structure, and overall style. Tone refers to the author's attitude or feelings towards the subject matter and can range from joyful to serious, sarcastic, or even angry.

In this passage, the tone is one of wonder and reverence. Muir is filled with awe and admiration for the beauty of the Calypso borealis flower that he discovers in the midst of his difficult journey through the swamp. He describes the flower in glowing terms, using phrases like "rarest and most beautiful," "utmost simple purity," and "most spiritual." Muir's language is poetic and expressive, creating a sense of reverence for the natural world.

Muir's description of the difficulty of his journey through the swamp, with its "tangled drooping branches" and "broad heaps of fallen trees," creates a sense of darkness and struggle. He even mentions the possibility of having to spend the night in the swamp, which adds to the feeling of uncertainty and danger. However, when Muir discovers the Calypso borealis flower, it is like a ray of light breaking through the darkness. The beauty and purity of the flower stand out all the more for being surrounded by such difficulty and hardship. Muir's emotional response to the flower, with his tears of joy, suggests that this discovery has brought him a sense of hope and inspiration even in the midst of difficult circumstances. This contrast between the darkness of the swamp and the light of the flower adds to the overall tone of wonder and reverence by emphasizing the power of nature to bring joy and beauty even in the midst of struggle.

even more:

One example of how Muir creates this tone is in his description of the flower as "the most spiritual of all the flower people I had ever met." By using the word "spiritual," Muir implies that he sees the flower as having a kind of divine presence or significance. This adds to the tone of wonder and reverence by suggesting that there is something special and transcendent about the flower.

Another example is Muir's description of how he "fairly cried for joy" when he discovered the flower. This emotional response conveys Muir's deep appreciation and love for the natural world, and his sense of wonder at the beauty he has found. This contributes to the overall tone of the passage by emphasizing the emotional impact that the discovery of the Calypso borealis has had on Muir, and by inviting the reader to share in that sense of wonder and appreciation.