Mark Twain, in his juvenalian essay “The War Prayer” (1923) lambasts war and the motivations behind fighting them. He supports his argument by incorporating potent sarcastic diction, utilizing hyperbole, and by the use of hypocrisy. Twain’s purpose is to convey the absurdity of war and to examine what he believes to be the asinine motivations behind going to war, especially those of a religious and patriotic nature, in the hope that future conflict is avoided. He adopts an ironic tone (“An aged stranger entered [the church] and moved with slow and noiseless step[s] up the main aisle... then in a deep voice he said ‘[I am] bearing a message from Almighty God’... the words smote the house with a shock... beseeching His aid in our good cause/ He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!/ It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there
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His use of hyperbole also illuminates what Twain believes to be the foolishness of war, especially the foolishness of patriotism and religion in relation to war.
Type of Satirical Technique: Hypocrisy Examples: The multiple mentions of praying serve as examples of the use of hypocrisy. As an example, the congregated masses in the church pray, Twain saying, “Then came the ‘long’ prayer” (para. 5 ).For instance, when the old man comes into the church readying for war “Bearing a message from Almighty God,” he starts a prayer, “Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth into battle,” finishing, he says, “O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead” (para. 11 ).
Link to argument: Most religions of the world were founded on the principle of peace. Thus, by incorporating hypocrisy, Twain is asserting that incorporating religion in war (and war itself) is
His use of hyperbole also illuminates what Twain believes to be the foolishness of war, especially the foolishness of patriotism and religion in relation to war.
Type of Satirical Technique: Hypocrisy Examples: The multiple mentions of praying serve as examples of the use of hypocrisy. As an example, the congregated masses in the church pray, Twain saying, “Then came the ‘long’ prayer” (para. 5 ).For instance, when the old man comes into the church readying for war “Bearing a message from Almighty God,” he starts a prayer, “Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth into battle,” finishing, he says, “O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead” (para. 11 ).
Link to argument: Most religions of the world were founded on the principle of peace. Thus, by incorporating hypocrisy, Twain is asserting that incorporating religion in war (and war itself) is