When taking the time to ponder, an individual's senses and thoughts become keen to the point of no boundaries. What is present before the naked eye reels into the world of imagination, creating a reality all on its own. Everything seems to be, but what it actually is. In this present state, life's pace is corrupted, and the realization of each individual aspect is at last noticed. Whether we are contemplating thoughts of past memories, or simply observing an intricate journey of a flock of birds, we become capable of capturing the true essence of life itself. In these passages by John James Audubon and Annie Dillard, two observers are caught in the midst of an engulfing voyage taking place in the sky right above them. Although both seem to be viewing a similar sight, through personal influences, how they describe their experience changes the readers" outlook immensely. .
The observer in Audubon's portrayal describes an indefinite amount of pigeons on a synchronized journey to the southwest. The spectacle becomes so overwhelming that he chooses to take the time to sit and observe them from below. While viewing their flight, he depicts the sounds of their flapping wings as something quite serene to his senses. He portrays their union as a fleet, as a very solid accumulation of strong creatures. Even when threatened by predators, they work together to overcome any casualties. After viewing their journey for quite some time, he is left deeply moved by the rareness of such solidarity among some of the most typical creatures known to man. Through these vivid depictions, Audubon exposes a spectacle of beauty that had the power to truly afflict with a man's own mind. This was a beauty that not even a rifle could puncture, but rather had the might to puncture the mind of another being.
In passage two, yet a different perspective is placed upon a similar flock of birds through an observer created by Annie Dillard.
