List the words and phrases Steinbeck uses to create a calm and quiet atmosphere in the barn. Why do you think he creates this peaceful atmosphere?

Steinbeck writes of the barn:

The afternoon sun sliced in through the cracks of the barn walls and lay in bright lines on the hay. There was the buzz of flies in the air, the lazy afternoon humming. From outside came the clang of horseshoes on the playing peg and the shouts of men, playing, encouraging, jeering. But in the barn it was quiet and humming and lazy and warm.

Words and phrases that convey that the barn is quiet and calm are "the buzz of flies," "lazy" and "humming" (repeated twice), "quiet," and "warm." The stillness of the shafts of sunlight making "bright lines" on the hay also adds to the sense of quietude. Additionally, the contrast with the noisy game of horseshoes outside emphasizes how still the barn is inside.
We learn too that Lennie is alone in the barn, adding to the sense of quiet. Then we find out he has a dead puppy in his lap. He has accidentally killed the puppy. A dead animal also adds to the sense of quiet and stillness, but in an eerier, more unsettling way.
Steinbeck creates this peaceful atmosphere to create a sense of foreboding, especially as we realize that Lennie has killed a puppy. The quiet is ominous, and we should be worried that Lennie is alone in the barn, away from the watchful eyes of George, who has apparently forgotten about him. The stillness creates an empty space that foreshadows that something bad is going to happen.