The Story of My Life-Helen Keller-Summary=Chapter 12

 The Story of My Life-Helen Keller-Summary

Chapter 12

After her first visit to Boston, Helen Keller spent almost her every winter in the North. She also tells us about her visit to New England village to watch and enjoy at its frozen lakes and great snow fields. It was her first experience to watch the vast treasures of snow.

Here she becomes poetic in her mind. She feels surprised as to how someone invisible from human eyes had stripped the trees and bushes in white, leaving only a wrinkled leaf here and there. The birds had migrated to the safer places and their empty nests in the leafless trees were filled with snow. One could notice the impact of winter everywhere on the hills and the fields. Here the earth has been personified and Helen says that the earth had become so cold that it was numbed by the icy touch of the snow and the spirits of the trees had gone deep down into the roots, all asleep. All life seemed to have been taken away (ebbed away). Even the sun could not bring life to the day and it was 'Shrunk and cold/ As if her veins were sapless/And she rose up decrepitly/For a last dim look at the earth and the sea.'

The withered grass and even the bushes were changed into the thickets of icicles ().

As the day dawned, a snowstorm was portended by the chilly air. The author, along with her team, rushed out of doors to enjoy and feel the first fallen flakes of ice. Those kept falling silently hour after hour softly to the earth and towards the arrival of the morning; it was difficult to recognize the landscape. Everything was hidden and the roads were covered under the white sheet and not a single landmark was visible.

A wind from the northeast rose up and in the evening the flakes were scattered here and there as those were caught in a ‘furious melee’.

The author, along with her team, sat around the fire and told happy tales and frolicked (). They were quite oblivious () of the fact that they were amidst all along in those lonely fields and cut off from all communication from the rest of the world.

As the night advanced, the fury of the snowstorm also increased to such a degree that it thrilled them but it was associated with a vague terror.

The rafters (ˈrɑːftə/ a beam forming part of the internal framework of a roof.) created a creaking sound due to the pressure of air and the branches of the threes which surrounded the hose beat hard against the windows and rattled. The snowfall stopped on the third day after the beginning of the storm. The sun also appeared out of the clouds in the sky and its rays fell upon the vast plain. It was a wonderful scene presented by nature.

One could see high heaps and mounds of snow in their fantastic shapes. The author put on her cloak and hood and went out. The air stung her cheeks like fire. After a great effort, they were able to reach a pine grove that was just outside a broad pasture. The trees stood motionless and were covered in the white snow. There was no odour coming from the pine needles. The twigs were looking sparkling like diamonds as the sun rays were falling on them. Some drops falling from them were making the author wet. The light was so dazzling that it penetrated even the darkness that was there in her eyes.

As the days passed by, the trees lost their icy covering and “the bulrushes and underbrush were bare” but the lakes were still frozen.

Their favourite amusement during that winter pastime was tobogganing (sliding on the snow in vehicle).