Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek presents a unique way of portraying the world around us. It would be safe to say that Dillard takes nature for what it is. By thoroughly examining every aspect of the creek, Dillard gives the readers an opportunity to create their own images of what Tinker Creek truly looks like. Dillard urges us to “somehow take a wider view, look at the whole landscape, really see it, and describe what's going on.” Her diction chances, and apparent imagery create a flow in the novel that otherwise would not have been present. Ultimately, she clarifies her position with descriptions of her intimate relationship with the creek. Dillard's diction and syntax are main contributors to her message coming across the right way. She believes that “seeing is of course a matter of verbalization".

She tries to explain that her sight alone can not grant her a satisfactory feeling. She must use her words in order to fully fathom the beauty and complexity of the environment around her. On page 110, she describes the newts' skin as “lighted green" instead of a green that is light.‘ By doing so. the newts suddenly seem like a much more important part of their world. On page 188, she describes that the eels' skin "turned silver." This description allows the eels' change in the shade to appear like magic. On page 248. she describes the clouds as “careening” and uncontrolled. Dillard is trying to explain that the creek may appear as one entity but each aspect and organism lives separately, creating an almost frenzy-like environment. On page 69, nature is described as an “inexhaustible tale" never ending and continues even when no one is looking. “As a closed book on a shelf continues to whisper."

The imagery created in this collection of essays is truly extraordinary. The author's ability to accurately portray the creek while acknowledging all of its simple aspects is fascinating. Even Dillard's basic observations like “the grass at the edge of the meadow begin to tremble and sway". help to further build the setting. It can be assumed that readers have all seen when the wind comes and causes the grass to sway but Dillard somehow manages to capture its beauty in this sentence. When depicting the change in the coloring of the sky, Dillard states that “the cloud ceiling took on a warm tone, deepened, and departed as if drawn on a leash". The syntax throughout the essays may not have been a struggle for Dillard to create, however, the complexity of her sentences are apparent and become evident through the images portrayed. Even when discussing the leaves she simply went out to pick, her words allow the readers to believe she is experiencing an adventure as she sorts through the diverse plants.

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"In the blue light, I see scratched and peeled stems. leaves that are half—eaten. rusted, blighted. blistered, mined, snipped." Annie Dillard is an exceptional author. Simply put. her words come alive and her message IS heard. Nature has always been a mystery to the majority and Dillard proves that her intimate relationships with the different entities within nature have helped her to fully comprehend is complexity. She understands that she is inferior to this creek. In fact. she never seems to situate any form of humanity within the serene creek. She doesn't mention any present-day concerns. or any environmental issues as she chooses to focus on the beauty of the world she has placed herself in. Taking the world as it is, is her specialty and she excels in ignoring its brutality and dwells on its mystery.

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