Summary:
John James Audubon and Annie Dillard both describe the flights of the flocks of birds the see, incorporating their feelings about the experience into their observations. Audubon approaches his flock's peculiarity with a methodical and scientific view and is mostly amazed with the unusualness of the pigeons but Dillard's experience of watching the flock of starlings expresses a spiritual and sensational side of bird watching.
John James Audubon and Annie Dillard both describe the flights of the flocks of birds the see, incorporating their feelings about the experience into their observations. Audubon approaches his flock's peculiarity with a methodical and scientific view and is mostly amazed with the unusualness of the pigeons but Dillard's experience of watching the flock of starlings expresses a spiritual and sensational side of bird watching.
Audubon firsts writes the place where he saw the pigeons: "in passing over the Barrens a few miles beyond Hardensbug, I observed the pigeons." Also, Audubon immediately states the birds he saw and the direction of the flight, "from north-east to south-west." Only a scientist studying birds, records the time, place, and direction of flight and also no initial details about the birds are described, but his fascination with the unusualness of the pigeons is: "I observed the pigeons flying... in greater numbers than I though I had ever seen them before." He does not just want to watch them; he has "an inclination to count the flocks." Dillard's observation is less scientific and more poetic. She first says, "Out of the dimming sky a speck appeared, then another, and another." She grabs the attention of the reader immediately by not revealing what the speck is until her next sentence: "The starlings [are] going to roost." She beautifully describes the passage of the flock in relation to her. The birds fly gracefully across the sky, unraveling in longer curves, fluttering and randomly blobbing. Dillard enjoys the starlings unpredictable flight pattern but knows that the reason for the apparent randomness is just "that's how starlings fly." She had no desire to explain why this happens because she focuses on the beauty of what she sees.
Audubon's experience frustrates the scientist in him because he is unable to produce any scientific observations from the pigeons; while Dillard fully appreciates the chance she received to see the starlings. Audubon instead of basking in the exquisiteness of the pigeons, first proceeds to count the number flocks that passes overhead, but eventually gives up, realizing that it is impossible to count the number, so he continues to his destination.
Since he is unable to make some sort of scientific observation he moves on. He does not stop and just revel in the magnificence of nature, but he does not forget about the pigeons either, and notices that as he proceeds more pigeons emerge, creating, an eclipse covering "the light of noon-day." Dillard stands still, right where she is and does not move; she just lets nature fly freely through the air: "I stood with difficulty, bashed by the unexpectness of this beauty." Unlike Audubon, Dillard does not care if there might be a scientific significance to her observations, she want to just watch. She wants to embrace nature, to truly feel it, not record the number of starlings on a piece of paper. Once Audubon reaches the YOUNG's inn for dinner, he releases his need to scientifically analyze the flocks of pigeons, which allows him to describe his observations more emotionally. The birds, "like a torrent, and with noise like thunder,... rushed in compact mass." The darted angularly and unpredictably, gathering up speed to form "wheeling and twisting coils of a gigantic serpents" Audubon's description seems almost violent. He does not see the unexplained beauty of unpredictability. He only sees unpredictability as an adversary, preventing him from scientifically observing the birds.
Both of these authors saw birds on their journey to some place, but because of their different personalities, describe and retell their experiences focusing on the significance of it. Audubon approaches the flock scientifically but Dillard also her experience to transcend her into the beauty of nature.
This is the complete article, containing 617 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
