The passage taken from Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron," portrays a "small and hopeful" child, Sylvia, climbing to the top of a tree. Sylvia starts her journey at the bottom of the tree looking up at the wonderful adventure ahead of her. Jewett creates the adventure to entertain the idea of growing up. Jewett begins this prose passage with the memory of childhood pastimes ending with becoming an adolescent reaching the ultimate goal in life, whatever that maybe for each person(s).
Jewett creates the memory of childhood pastimes by creating the moment of intensity. The heat of the moment, the "eager blood," racing through Sylvia's body reminisces children living for the moment. The personification of the red squirrel scolding Sylvia represents Sylvia as she remembers an event in her life where someone was scolding her, but this time she is one of the animals not a human. The giantess of the white oak as well as the pine tree allows for the interpretation that life, while long and prosperous, changes from one path to another. As Sylvia moves from the white oak to the pine tree, she is faced with getting across the branches to the pine tree. She has to "reach far and hold fast," just as the dry pine leaves catch hold of her clothing holding her captive until she can free herself. The simile comparing the dry twigs to angry talons suggests that life is sometimes rough causing children to have to struggle through the hard times that hurt. .
Growing up, just as Sylvia climbs the tree, sometimes must be done carefully as well as quickly. As the day breaks, Sylvia must climb quickly to the top of the pine tree, as the "sparrows," as well as the "robins," start to wake from their nights slumber. .
When life gets tough it seems that life slows down to a snail pace. The simile comparing the trees growth to the great mainmast of Earth ship represents that life is a voyage, starting in one spot sailing toward places unknown as future life events are unknown.