The
author's experience in Alabama strengthened his commitment: a vision "too
intense to be expressed in conventional forms." This is an example
of a paraphrase.
To add, paraphrasing <span>expresses the meaning of (the writer or speaker
or something written or spoken) using different words, especially to achieve
greater clarity.</span>
I think it is to entertain and inform, but mostly to inform.
Platoon means a group of people or things that work together under a leader.
Examples can be:
A platoon of soldiers, which has ~16 - 50 soldiers
A platoon of tanks, which has ~4 - 9 tanks
etc.
hope this helps
Basically, the quote means that this lady has lived a long, tired, and hardworking life. Her soul is at rest because she is satisfied with the life that she lives.