Gary Paulsen ”Tuning” Literacy Analysis

If we did not contribute to maintaining a healthy earth, there would be no more seasons. There would be no scents of the seasons. . .

There would be no cozy smells of burning fires on a frigid winter day. No aromas of freshly cut grass soaking in the summer sun. No crisp smell of fall air burning your lungs. No repulsive smell of mud glistening in the new spring weather. There would be no scents of the seasons.

If we did not contribute to maintaining a healthy earth, there would be no seasons. No more scents or sounds . . .

No days of silence as snow drapes the ground, and no crunch of your booted feet over the icy layers of frozen over snow. No chirps of birds on early spring mornings. No ruffle of leaves above you, created by the fresh fall wind, and no screams from the children on the night of Halloween. There would be no sounds of the seasons.

If we did not contribute to maintaining a healthy earth, there would be no more seasons. There would be no scents, sounds, or tastes of the seasons . . .

No taste of tongue burning hot chocolate making you flinch. No sticky popsicle juice frigid on your tongue compared to the warm summer sun on your back. No taste of warm apple pie, drizzled in melted ice cream, and exploding with juicy sweet apples. No splash of ocean water seeping down your throat through your closed lips, you gagging with disgust. There would be no Tastes of the seasons.

If we did not contribute to maintaining a healthy earth, there would be no more seasons. No scents, sounds, tastes, or feelings of the seasons . . .

There would be no feeling of sun prickling your skin feeling it’s power. No bugs swarming you on a late summer evening feeling them flutter all around you. No feeling of sand clinging to every part of your body. No patter of rain against your skin, the pounding of exploding drops, making you feel alive on one inspiring spring morning. No feeling of wind blowing straight through you making your whole body scrunch up into a ball of warmth. There would be no feelings of the seasons.

If we did not contribute to a healthy earth, there would be no more seasons. No scents, sound, tastes, or feelings of a single winter, spring, summer or fall day.