The last person Stuart talks to before the book ends is by trade a telephone line repairman. “She comes from fields once tall with wheat, from pastures deep in fern and thistle she comes from vales of meadowsweet, and she loves to whistle.” The Repairman Philosopher For a self-description, it is quite clearly effective as the description of a missing bird, not so much: It is pure imagery, lacking detail and concrete information as imagery usually does. It makes such an impact upon Stuart that his only description of her is to repeat it word for word. His description of Margalo is exactly her own description of herself. The search seems unlikely to come to end with success, however, as Stuart continually seeks the assistance of others as to whether they have seen or to contact her if they ever do see her. Stuart leaves home in search of the missing Margalo, his first love, and the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. I love the water, dear Miss Ames, and my canoe is like an old and trusted friend.” Margalo “Would you care to go for a paddle with me in my canoe? How about tomorrow afternoon toward sundown, when the petty annoyances of the day are behind us and the river seems to flow more quietly in the long shadows of the willows? These tranquil spring evenings are designed by special architects for the enjoyment of boatmen. The language that Stuart uses in this letter is not entirely unlike how he speaks, but it is taken to a much higher level there is the sense of worldliness which is lacking in his conversational patois:
The imagery instills a portrait of the writer as intelligent and sensitive, yet with a strong physicality since, after all, the date will be a canoe ride. Sounding like something from a Jane Austen novel, the language Stuart chooses for his invitation for Harriet to join him for an afternoon out on his canoes is one designed to create imagery existing solely within Harriet’s imagination. In his love letter to Harriet extending an invitation for a first date, Stuart adopts an overly formal tone. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.