Once More to the Lake by E.B White: Summary and Theme: Class 12 Major English Note/Class 12 Optional English Note
Once More to the Lake is an essay by the writer E.B. White. The essay is a recollection of childhood memories related to the lake, Belgrade Lake where he visits after a long time. The place is his ideal one. He loves it too much because it is his vacation spot. So, he revisits it after a long time. Now, he is a mature man.
He becomes nostalgic after reaching the place because it reminds him his childhood time which was full of joy and happiness. Now, he is mature person. He has different obligations and duties to fulfill in his life unlike his childhood carefree time. So, he becomes serious after comparing his childhood visit to the place with his present one. He brings his son Joel to the spot. He presents his experiences with his son in this place.
We find an internal struggle of the writer in this essay. He struggle with his mind which is divided into two parts: childhood visit and present visit. He finds different changes in the place. He finds noiser boats there.
Once, there was serene atmosphere. But now it is full of noise. So, he thinks that technology has created such atmosphere. Such damage in the environment is caused by the technology.
White compares his past childhood fishing time with present time with his son white visiting the lake. While visiting the lake with his son, White becomes serious remembering upcoming his death.
He thinks that death is very close to him. He is grown up man as well as a responsible father. The death is going to choose him instead of his son. He feels that human lives are mortal but memories and experiences are immortal.
Memories survive forever in our mind. Technology is capturing our world. But his son is still enjoying the same nature like the writer in the childhood time. He used to sneak in the morning like his son. His son is amused by the dragonflies like him in the past.
Theme/Central Point of the Essay Once More to the Lake:
The essay presents the writer’s experiences after revisiting lake in Maine. He desires to recollect his childhood time of visiting the lake instead of enjoying the place. He brings his childhood eye to see the lake. So, the essay presents the theme of nostalgic childhood memories of the writer.
In the same way, it also presents the theme of immortal nature vs mortal human life. Human lives decline but nature survives forever in different forms. The writer becomes serious after remembering his upcoming death.
