Have you heard of me?

1. Have you heard of me?

2. Mark Twain?

3. Samuel L. Clemens? Is it just me, or do these two men look similar?

4. Well, that’s because they are… • Mark Twain was born Samuel L. Clemens November 30, 1835. • His father died when he was 12, forcing him to leave school in order to earn money. • One of his lifelong dreams came true at the age of 21. He learned to pilot a steamboat on the Mississippi River. • Served in the Confederate Army for a few weeks, then headed West.

5. Clemens/Twain continued… • Mark Twain = steamboat slang for 12 feet of water. • Served as his penname when he lived in California and worked as a reporter • 1870: married Olivia Langdon and moved to New York • Went on to have four children together • Tom Sawyer was published in 1876 and began his successful writing career.

6. Clemens/ Twain continued… • He suffered many losses in his later years. Three of his four children had died before him, as did his wife. • Died on April 21, 1910, at the age of 74.

7. Figurative language to look for in his writing: • Simile: A comparison made using the words “like” or “as.” • Metaphor” A comparisons of two unlike things that suggests a similarity between the two items • Personification: Making an inanimate object or animal act like a person. • Hyperbole: An exaggeration.

8. Figurative language continued… • Allusion: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. • Irony: A figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. • Symbolism: The use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. • Boats and water: Two concepts and images that are important to Twain. Therefore, the frequently appear in his works.

9. Now… • Please complete the worksheet giving examples of some of the these characteristics found in Huckleberry Finn.