Ruark uses poetic language to describe the beauty of nature in the country. He uses words to paint vivid pictures of the various fields, woods, marshes and beaches of Carolina, wanting the reader to have some idea of how wonderful it was to grow up in such a setting. In one minute he sentimentally recalls some amazing piece of scenery, and in the next makes a joke, poking fun at the characters foolish enough to place themselves in such a scene.
The Old Man and the Boy