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Figurative Language In Ernest Hemingway's Camping Out

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In his essay “Camping Out” Ernest Hemingway - perhaps the epitome of poetic machismo-tackles the topic of avoiding the high cost of living by taking up residence in the woods. In this how-to essay Hemingway explains the most important aspects of camping to the typical weekend warrior: sleeping well, eating and avoiding insects. To achieve his purpose, Hemingway uses figurative language to help his readers visualize his instructions and writes in a fanciful, and caustic way as he explains the finer points of serving the “call of the wild”.
Ernest Hemingway is known for his obscure scenery and intense dialogue. Hemingway explains that if you “Rub a little on the back of your neck, your forehead and your wrists before you start fishing, and the blacks and skeeters will shun you”. The reader can envision the rubbing of the citronella oil, as well as the shunning of the insects. Hemingway then states that “The trout are crisp and firm and pink inside and the bacon is well done—but not too done.” Hemingway describes the trout and bacon so well that you can almost taste it. Hemingway’s imagery lets the reader create a detailed picture in their mind. …show more content…

Hemingway suggests that if you make a pie and “Put it in the baker with a good slow fire for forty-five minutes and then take it out and if your pals are Frenchmen they will kiss you.” This exaggeration embodies Hemingway’s simple way of displaying his humorous side. Hemingway then focuses his topic on how “Black flies, no-see-ums, deer flies, gnats and mosquitoes were instituted by the devil to force people to live in cities where he could get at them better”. This suggests he would rather be eaten alive by flies in the woods than live in the big city. Hemingway’s overstatements give the reader a more comical feel to what a camping guide should really be

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