Twain's tone in the war prayer comes across as sarcastic but eloquent. He describes in detail the gaiety of the situation at the beginning but a careful reader can tell all is not right with this grand parade. The syntax feels like a wandering parade with bright colors and joy that parallels the young soldiers walk through the town on the way to war. It is filled with long descriptions and fierce expressions. In the middle of his essay, Twain shifts to the speech of a messenger from God. Thus, this messenger speaks quite extravagantly to convey a sense of importance and urgency. Here Twain's tone turns to deep sarcasm and prodding of the soul. while these parents wish their boys safe journeys and victories, they also with destruction of the opposing nation. Twain's tone reflects the other side of this issue. Where there is victory, there is horrible, ravaging defeat. Twain ends stating that the messenger was decided to be a lunatic. This playful tone strikes deep however, pointing out the fact the no one wants to see the negative side of issues.
Twain makes his stance on war clear through the structure of his essay. There is no doubt that he disagrees with the conflict in the Philippines going on while writing this piece. He begins the essay with an abundance of participles emphasizing action, in this case rash action. He describes the townspeople in a violent fervor with “glowing eyes” hungering after violence. His cadence is song-like; it gains a rhythm which mirrors the spirit of the people. Their passion is augmented by their peers. The beat he describes garners an almost mindless quality with clauses of repetitive length. Twain returns to the idea of lighted eyes when describing the stranger whose eyes “burned with an uncanny light.” This concept dates back to the ancient Romans, in Latin the word for eye is lumina, which can also mean light, for they reflect the soul.
Mark Twain was opposed to the American-Phillipino war of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He wrote this piece to clearly illuminate the reasoning for his opposition to this war and possibly every war. Twain said it best when he said, "If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time." Twain's style and syntax in this piece are unmistakable. Twain uses a quick and ominous tone to grip the reader and the to reveal the severity of the issue at hand. Twain places short choppy sentences along with long sentences containing parallels in his prose to bolster the narrative along in an unceasing manner to force the situation upon the reader. This style of writing proves effective for depicting the reality of a situation that is seen ignorantly by the common American. Twain's syntax is certainly exquisite and provides and insight into the dual reality of war.
Hey Mrs. Carroll and Mrs. P!! This is Savannah Moore... I forgot my password. Sorry! Ok, here's my paragraph:
Twain’s syntax in the piece “The War Prayer” begins with one short sentence, which then explodes into a series of compound-complex sentences. In the first paragraph, Twain eloquently strings together a sequence of descriptive phrases joined with a multitude of semicolons. His creative use of onomatopoeia and alliteration contribute to the effect that the syntax mirrors the bustling action that is portrayed. As Twain continues in his writing, he gains momentum through these long sentences, as if he is building up to the main show. Exclamatory remarks in the second and third paragraph thrust the reader into this emotionally stimulated atmosphere. Twain then, however, shifts from a fast pace to a slower one in the forth paragraph. While discussing “the ‘long’ prayer”, Twain uses a plethora of dashes in his writing, which is used to prolong the arduous ordeal of this longer prayer. Again, Twain’s syntax is reflective of the action being described. A rhythmic structure is established in the fifth paragraph during an anaphora describing an old man. When the old man speaks to the congregation, the tone shifts from one of optimism and excitement to one of condemnation and sarcasm. He obviously criticizes their prayer, yet the people dismiss his thoughts of those of “a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.” In reality, his words made a great deal of sense, and that is the greatest irony of it all.
In his essay, Mark Twain introduces his topic with a long paragraph. The paragraph is loaded with description and sets the mood of the characters in the piece. The first sentence sums up the introduction by giving the overall mood of the crowd. Then, Twain proceeds to describe the little detailed emotions like "gay", "glad", and "patriotism" and why the people felt the way that they felt. The second paragraph is included simply to display a setting that portrays the emotions previously described in the fist paragraph. Twain includes the quotation separately from the paragraph to emphasize the radical effect it provoked. Twain then transitions to the long prayer and he introduces the first half of this prayer. After this paragraph all attention if shifted to the strange man who enters and recites the second half of that prayer. Twain describes this unknown in the next paragraph, using "ghastly", "silently", and "slow" to give the character a mystical and unpredictable quality. The next three paragraphs are broken into three sections to show the perfect pauses in the unknown's speech to captivate the audience. The next paragraph is the second half of the prayer, and the last few sentences are used to bring forth three separate pieces of information to conclude the essay.
Twain’s sentences are long and complex, but divided into shorter, quicker parts by commas and semicolons. For instance, he writes of the minister, “With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued with his moving payer, and at last finished it with words, uttered in fervent appeal […].” Even though this sentence is long, it is divided into many smaller parts, giving the sentence a steady rhythm. He also uses descriptive language and modifies most of his nouns with multiple modifiers. For example, he describes the “dear ones” as “proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors.” The large amount of description adds to the sarcastic tone of the passage. At the end of the passage he includes two paragraphs that are much shorter than the rest of his paragraphs. These short paragraphs add emphasis to his main ideas in the passage.
The opening sentence is the push off point, while the succeeding sentences are the pool in which the opening sentence plunges in to. Twain's endless use of commas and semi-colons convey that there is simply too much to say in these sentences. Vivid imagery is created by the rapid sentences Twain utilizes to generate the excitement and anticipation of the country. His cleverness is not only revealed, but is vomited onto the page during the man's seemingly endless prayer. The passion in this prayer is no doubt patent, and his words stream into a sort of song, a rhythm. The man’s fourth paragraph holds the daring anaphora of his prayer. I picture a man with his hand held high, eyes wide, and mouth spurting spit in showers as he reveals the "message" from God. His sentences seem to stumble over one another, with his inexhaustible dashes and pauses creating an air of intelligence. This intelligence soon vanishes as Twain's ironic tone is sprinkled into the man's prayer, making him seem to the listeners a "lunatic." Though his lunacy is clear, to a stranger his words seem like he is highly qualified to declare a “message” from God. But this message turns out to be far from a message. To the listeners, it is nothing but a jumble of words.
In Mark Twain's "The War Prayer" his complicated syntax and undulating tone alert the reader to his disdain towards war. His first paragraph is bubbling with adverbs and adjectives swirled into the long and rhythmic syntax. All is well according to his first paragraph but the reader can detect a negative tone underneath the bubbly surface when he mentions the "half a dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war." Ultimately, as seen at the close of the essay, he is part of this rash group. His syntax remains long, but the cadence and tone changes with the following paragraphs. His tone ranges from subdued to descriptive as he builds up to the strange pale man's prayer. The syntax of the prayer is structurally similar to the long sentences full of multiple clauses and plentiful punctuation seen throughout the essay. The difference comes in the rhythm and tone of the prayer. The strange man's prayer is full of anaphora which urges the reader forward and speeds up the reading of the prayer itself. Remembering that the prayer was originally spoken, one can ascertain that the man fluently spoke about the horrors and destruction that accompany victory and defeat in war. The fluent tone adds to the overall shock of the prayer's content and slaps the reader with the ugly reality of war, justifying why Twain associates himself with such "rash spirits."
This essay seems generic at first glance, but soon turns into a story with an interweaving plot. The humorous ending shows the comfort with which Mark Twain is willing to write. He does not always write of sad, life issues. The length of Twain's paragraphs in "The War Prayer" vary. He tends to use longer paragraphs to describe certain details then shorter, one-sentence paragraphs to provide vital details. Twain effectively conveys the importance of war and prayer in the society at that time. The soldiers relied solely on God to get them through the war. As many others did, possibly even their enemies, they believed God was on their side. This commonly held belief is lost by many who enter war with this pre-conceived notion. Honor is almost just as important as prayer in this essay, for no man wants to die a coward. Twain concludes his essay by describing how the coward in the story is the man who gives the absurd prayer at the end, not any of the other soldiers...
In Mark Twain's essay "The War Prayer," he begins by introducing the setting for the speech he is about to present. The nature of the essay flows in a way that builds up to a climatic point, settles, then proclaims a broad statement. Although a genuine amount of plot is presented in the prayer, the plot gives the reader validation and an idea of the surrounding circumstances in order to base his or her opinions on. Twains clear and precise use of diction involves words such as "beseeching," "fervent," "frothy," and "ghastlyness" all impart images in the reader's mind. Twains tone shifts in two major instances. The first shift comes after he says, "Bless our arms,grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!." The second shift comes after the direct conversation with God near the end of the speech. This shift corresponds with a marked pause in the writing. Overall, Twain encorporates a tone of passionate pleading in "The War Prayer."
In his essay “The War Prayer,” Mark Twain begins by using long complex sentences as he describes the state of the country and the scene at the church. His first paragraph is the longest in the essay and is made up of two long complex sentences following a shorter declarative sentence. Most of the paragraphs are medium to long in lengths except for a few shorter three one sentence paragraphs which serve to highlight a point by providing a break from the normal pattern of paragraph length. The often long and continual nature of Twain’s complex sentences allows him to build on statements with many details that aid in the communication of his point. Twain employs literary devices such as alliteration and hyperbole. Alliteration can be seen in the phrase “for passionate pleading.” The second paragraph offers a hyperbolic description of the ideal of fighting and war as well as the situation in the community. Twain fills his sentences with adjectives such as “noble young soldiers,” “mighty hand,” “noiseless step,” and “fervently prayed.” These adjectives allow him to develop his descriptions. They also allow the reader to better understand Twain’s intent and to visualize the scene at hand. Twain wants the reader to grasp the difference between the idealistic and realistic views of the situation. The tone of the piece is hyperbolic and critical. The beginning also has a satirical tone as well. As Twain describes the honor, valor, and glory that the country associates with the war he does so in an exaggerated fashion that allows the reader to see the view’s shortcomings. The critical aspect of the tone is best exemplified at the end of the passage when Twain writes of the people’s disregard for what the strange man said especially since it was at least partially true about the situation. Also the hyperbolic beginning seems to give rise to a critical element as well. It is as if it is too idealized and built up. The effective use of syntax and tone as well as a satirical form allow Twain’s essay to make a point without being overtly critical.
Twain's tone in the war prayer comes across as sarcastic but eloquent. He describes in detail the gaiety of the situation at the beginning but a careful reader can tell all is not right with this grand parade. The syntax feels like a wandering parade with bright colors and joy that parallels the young soldiers walk through the town on the way to war. It is filled with long descriptions and fierce expressions. In the middle of his essay, Twain shifts to the speech of a messenger from God. Thus, this messenger speaks quite extravagantly to convey a sense of importance and urgency. Here Twain's tone turns to deep sarcasm and prodding of the soul. while these parents wish their boys safe journeys and victories, they also with destruction of the opposing nation. Twain's tone reflects the other side of this issue. Where there is victory, there is horrible, ravaging defeat. Twain ends stating that the messenger was decided to be a lunatic. This playful tone strikes deep however, pointing out the fact the no one wants to see the negative side of issues.
ReplyDeleteTwain makes his stance on war clear through the structure of his essay. There is no doubt that he disagrees with the conflict in the Philippines going on while writing this piece. He begins the essay with an abundance of participles emphasizing action, in this case rash action. He describes the townspeople in a violent fervor with “glowing eyes” hungering after violence. His cadence is song-like; it gains a rhythm which mirrors the spirit of the people. Their passion is augmented by their peers. The beat he describes garners an almost mindless quality with clauses of repetitive length. Twain returns to the idea of lighted eyes when describing the stranger whose eyes “burned with an uncanny light.” This concept dates back to the ancient Romans, in Latin the word for eye is lumina, which can also mean light, for they reflect the soul.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain was opposed to the American-Phillipino war of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He wrote this piece to clearly illuminate the reasoning for his opposition to this war and possibly every war. Twain said it best when he said, "If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time." Twain's style and syntax in this piece are unmistakable. Twain uses a quick and ominous tone to grip the reader and the to reveal the severity of the issue at hand. Twain places short choppy sentences along with long sentences containing parallels in his prose to bolster the narrative along in an unceasing manner to force the situation upon the reader. This style of writing proves effective for depicting the reality of a situation that is seen ignorantly by the common
ReplyDeleteAmerican. Twain's syntax is certainly exquisite and provides and insight into the dual reality of war.
Hey Mrs. Carroll and Mrs. P!! This is Savannah Moore... I forgot my password. Sorry! Ok, here's my paragraph:
ReplyDeleteTwain’s syntax in the piece “The War Prayer” begins with one short sentence, which then explodes into a series of compound-complex sentences. In the first paragraph, Twain eloquently strings together a sequence of descriptive phrases joined with a multitude of semicolons. His creative use of onomatopoeia and alliteration contribute to the effect that the syntax mirrors the bustling action that is portrayed. As Twain continues in his writing, he gains momentum through these long sentences, as if he is building up to the main show. Exclamatory remarks in the second and third paragraph thrust the reader into this emotionally stimulated atmosphere. Twain then, however, shifts from a fast pace to a slower one in the forth paragraph. While discussing “the ‘long’ prayer”, Twain uses a plethora of dashes in his writing, which is used to prolong the arduous ordeal of this longer prayer. Again, Twain’s syntax is reflective of the action being described. A rhythmic structure is established in the fifth paragraph during an anaphora describing an old man. When the old man speaks to the congregation, the tone shifts from one of optimism and excitement to one of condemnation and sarcasm. He obviously criticizes their prayer, yet the people dismiss his thoughts of those of “a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.” In reality, his words made a great deal of sense, and that is the greatest irony of it all.
In his essay, Mark Twain introduces his topic with a long paragraph. The paragraph is loaded with description and sets the mood of the characters in the piece. The first sentence sums up the introduction by giving the overall mood of the crowd. Then, Twain proceeds to describe the little detailed emotions like "gay", "glad", and "patriotism" and why the people felt the way that they felt. The second paragraph is included simply to display a setting that portrays the emotions previously described in the fist paragraph. Twain includes the quotation separately from the paragraph to emphasize the radical effect it provoked. Twain then transitions to the long prayer and he introduces the first half of this prayer. After this paragraph all attention if shifted to the strange man who enters and recites the second half of that prayer. Twain describes this unknown in the next paragraph, using "ghastly", "silently", and "slow" to give the character a mystical and unpredictable quality. The next three paragraphs are broken into three sections to show the perfect pauses in the unknown's speech to captivate the audience. The next paragraph is the second half of the prayer, and the last few sentences are used to bring forth three separate pieces of information to conclude the essay.
ReplyDeleteTwain’s sentences are long and complex, but divided into shorter, quicker parts by commas and semicolons. For instance, he writes of the minister, “With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued with his moving payer, and at last finished it with words, uttered in fervent appeal […].” Even though this sentence is long, it is divided into many smaller parts, giving the sentence a steady rhythm. He also uses descriptive language and modifies most of his nouns with multiple modifiers. For example, he describes the “dear ones” as “proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors.” The large amount of description adds to the sarcastic tone of the passage. At the end of the passage he includes two paragraphs that are much shorter than the rest of his paragraphs. These short paragraphs add emphasis to his main ideas in the passage.
ReplyDeleteThe opening sentence is the push off point, while the succeeding sentences are the pool in which the opening sentence plunges in to. Twain's endless use of commas and semi-colons convey that there is simply too much to say in these sentences. Vivid imagery is created by the rapid sentences Twain utilizes to generate the excitement and anticipation of the country. His cleverness is not only revealed, but is vomited onto the page during the man's seemingly endless prayer. The passion in this prayer is no doubt patent, and his words stream into a sort of song, a rhythm. The man’s fourth paragraph holds the daring anaphora of his prayer. I picture a man with his hand held high, eyes wide, and mouth spurting spit in showers as he reveals the "message" from God. His sentences seem to stumble over one another, with his inexhaustible dashes and pauses creating an air of intelligence. This intelligence soon vanishes as Twain's ironic tone is sprinkled into the man's prayer, making him seem to the listeners a "lunatic." Though his lunacy is clear, to a stranger his words seem like he is highly qualified to declare a “message” from God. But this message turns out to be far from a message. To the listeners, it is nothing but a jumble of words.
ReplyDeleteIn Mark Twain's "The War Prayer" his complicated syntax and undulating tone alert the reader to his disdain towards war. His first paragraph is bubbling with adverbs and adjectives swirled into the long and rhythmic syntax. All is well according to his first paragraph but the reader can detect a negative tone underneath the bubbly surface when he mentions the "half a dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war." Ultimately, as seen at the close of the essay, he is part of this rash group. His syntax remains long, but the cadence and tone changes with the following paragraphs. His tone ranges from subdued to descriptive as he builds up to the strange pale man's prayer. The syntax of the prayer is structurally similar to the long sentences full of multiple clauses and plentiful punctuation seen throughout the essay. The difference comes in the rhythm and tone of the prayer. The strange man's prayer is full of anaphora which urges the reader forward and speeds up the reading of the prayer itself. Remembering that the prayer was originally spoken, one can ascertain that the man fluently spoke about the horrors and destruction that accompany victory and defeat in war. The fluent tone adds to the overall shock of the prayer's content and slaps the reader with the ugly reality of war, justifying why Twain associates himself with such "rash spirits."
ReplyDeleteThis essay seems generic at first glance, but soon turns into a story with an interweaving plot. The humorous ending shows the comfort with which Mark Twain is willing to write. He does not always write of sad, life issues. The length of Twain's paragraphs in "The War Prayer" vary. He tends to use longer paragraphs to describe certain details then shorter, one-sentence paragraphs to provide vital details. Twain effectively conveys the importance of war and prayer in the society at that time. The soldiers relied solely on God to get them through the war. As many others did, possibly even their enemies, they believed God was on their side. This commonly held belief is lost by many who enter war with this pre-conceived notion. Honor is almost just as important as prayer in this essay, for no man wants to die a coward. Twain concludes his essay by describing how the coward in the story is the man who gives the absurd prayer at the end, not any of the other soldiers...
ReplyDeleteIn Mark Twain's essay "The War Prayer," he begins by introducing the setting for the speech he is about to present. The nature of the essay flows in a way that builds up to a climatic point, settles, then proclaims a broad statement. Although a genuine amount of plot is presented in the prayer, the plot gives the reader validation and an idea of the surrounding circumstances in order to base his or her opinions on. Twains clear and precise use of diction involves words such as "beseeching," "fervent," "frothy," and "ghastlyness" all impart images in the reader's mind. Twains tone shifts in two major instances. The first shift comes after he says, "Bless our arms,grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!." The second shift comes after the direct conversation with God near the end of the speech. This shift corresponds with a marked pause in the writing. Overall, Twain encorporates a tone of passionate pleading in "The War Prayer."
ReplyDeleteIn his essay “The War Prayer,” Mark Twain begins by using long complex sentences as he describes the state of the country and the scene at the church. His first paragraph is the longest in the essay and is made up of two long complex sentences following a shorter declarative sentence. Most of the paragraphs are medium to long in lengths except for a few shorter three one sentence paragraphs which serve to highlight a point by providing a break from the normal pattern of paragraph length. The often long and continual nature of Twain’s complex sentences allows him to build on statements with many details that aid in the communication of his point. Twain employs literary devices such as alliteration and hyperbole. Alliteration can be seen in the phrase “for passionate pleading.” The second paragraph offers a hyperbolic description of the ideal of fighting and war as well as the situation in the community. Twain fills his sentences with adjectives such as “noble young soldiers,” “mighty hand,” “noiseless step,” and “fervently prayed.” These adjectives allow him to develop his descriptions. They also allow the reader to better understand Twain’s intent and to visualize the scene at hand. Twain wants the reader to grasp the difference between the idealistic and realistic views of the situation. The tone of the piece is hyperbolic and critical. The beginning also has a satirical tone as well. As Twain describes the honor, valor, and glory that the country associates with the war he does so in an exaggerated fashion that allows the reader to see the view’s shortcomings. The critical aspect of the tone is best exemplified at the end of the passage when Twain writes of the people’s disregard for what the strange man said especially since it was at least partially true about the situation. Also the hyperbolic beginning seems to give rise to a critical element as well. It is as if it is too idealized and built up. The effective use of syntax and tone as well as a satirical form allow Twain’s essay to make a point without being overtly critical.
ReplyDelete