An Analysis Of Wendell Berry's An Entrance To The Woods

“An Entrance to the Woods” is an essay by Wendell Berry about the serenity and importance of nature in his life. In this essay, the author uses tone shifts from dark to light to convey his idea of finding rebirth and rejuvenation through nature. In the beginning of the essay, Berry has left civilization for the first time in a while, and finds himself missing human company and feeling “inexplicably sad” (671). This feeling of sadness is in part from the woods itself, and partly due to Berry leaving the hustle and bustle of normal life in the cities, and the violent change from constant noise to silence causes him to feel lonely in the woods. As a result of feeling alone in the woods, the tone of the essay is dark and brooding, as seen through Berry’s somber diction and mood, as seen on page 671: “And then a heavy feeling of melancholy and lonesomeness comes over me. This does not

As the sun warms me I begin to grow comfortable not only in my clothes but in the place and the day” (675). The use of words such as “clear warm light” and “sun warms me” creates a lighter tone, the diction for feelings of comfort and warmth associated with the passage cause the reader to also feel more relaxed. Wendell Berry has become more at ease in the woods, and not only does he find happiness in the woods, and sees it in a new light, but also looks at himself in a better way, and becomes more accepting. He becomes more accepting of himself through his acceptance of nature and spending time isolated, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This acceptance that Wendell Berry finds is seen in the essay through the tone shift from dark to light, specifically through the use of darker diction/tone at the beginning and lighter in the end of the