How Does Mark Twain Use Irony In The War Prayer

During war times, citizens of any nation partaking in the war begin to develop vigorous pride and faith in their country; though, author and humorist, Mark Twain, was not one of these citizens. Mark Twain wrote numerous pieces of satire that represent his idea of wartime emotions. An example of one of these satirical pieces is Twain’s The War Prayer. In Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer,” he uses various satirical devices, such as hyperbole and irony, in order to convey his opinion on the connection between religion and war. One of the satirical devices that Mark Twain uses in his piece “The War Prayer” is hyperbole. Twain uses hyperbole, exaggeration, to express his beliefs and argue his opinions on war. He states that “in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism;” although, as soon as the war breaks out, the nation is filled with support and patriotism as they glorify the idea of war(Twain). Although, the nation is quite patriotic and tends to over-celebrate going into war without realizing the true impact that it has on one’s life. This leads to yet another satirical device that Twain uses in “The War Prayer,” irony. …show more content…
Twain gives an example of a prayer in which one prayed that “[God] would watch over noble young soldiers and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work”(Twain). Twain is conveying the extreme amounts of enthusiasm for not only war, but a victorious war. He is using irony by acknowledging the fact that these war enthusiasts are blending their religion with their patriotism. The narrator is humoring the fact that in a literal sense, these patriots are not only praying for a victory for their soldiers, but for the suffering and malice upon their