In this quotation, taken from the last paragraph of Postcards from Paradise by Ann Dowsett Johnston, the author describes her childhood experiences at the cottage in her summers and reiterates what cottaging means to her. This excerpt takes place after Johnston describes the end of each of her summers as a child. Through this quotation, Johnston develops the mood of the essay using imagery and diction. The mood that Johnston creates is warm and nostalgic. By detailing her experiences “[l]earning how to stalk wild raspberries before breakfast, and how to find a fungus in the forest. Lying under a canopy of stars and parsing the night sky. And at summer's end, worshipping the harvest moon”, she is providing vivid visual imagery for the reader. As these experiences are much more general than other parts of the essay where Johnston speaks of Georgian Bay, the reader is very likely to have experienced similar things as a child, which can evoke nostalgia. Additionally, her use of the word religion further develops the warm atmosphere of the quotation. In some cases, religion can be an interest or activity followed with devotion. Johnston states that “in [her] family, cottaging was religion”, showing their devotion to …show more content…
When Johnston describes “[l]ying under a canopy of stars and parsing the night sky”, a reader can clearly visualize this setting. Since the actions of lying down and watching the night sky would be associated with tranquility and relaxation, Johnston is expressing her calm attitude toward what is described. Furthermore, Johnston’s use of alliteration in the phrase “find a fungus in the forest” further develops the calm tone of the quotation. As the consonant repeated is soft and results in a smooth rhythm, the phrase sounds very soothing and contributes to the calm tone. Thus, Johnston sets a calm tone for the quotation through her use of imagery and soft