TOW #18-The Same River Twice

“The Same River Twice” by David Quammen

“The Same River Twice” is inspired by a quote from Greek philosopher Heraclitus, and describes the importance and impact of ancient philosophy on modern issues. Quammen is a well-known American science and nature write, who also has experience with fly-fishing. The author uses imagery to help convey the scenes in his lengthy anecdote. Quammen describes every aspect of the river and his friends: the flies that mate above the water, the brown trout that gulp them up, the sheep that take sips of the flowing water, the homeowners who shared their lovely spring creek. This helped strengthen the story because the audience was able to put themselves in Quammen’s shoes and imagine being one with nature, with the river spritzing their legs and the trout zooming by, avoiding capture at all costs. Description brought up emotions in the readers, reminding them of their love for the outdoors, and helping them feel the way the author does for the river. As displayed through his anecdote about his favorite river in Montana, the importance of such a quote runs deeper than most people would think. Quammen was able to befriend a couple at his river, and after the couple divorced and the trio dispersed, the river is no longer the same to Quammen. Thus, this proves that quotes are openly interpretable because, not only are rivers different because the water is always moving, but also because people are always changing. The anecdote and imagery used by the author shows that the ancient quote from Heraclitus is still applicable to his life, and is able to describe humans just as accurately.