In Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" Twain describes a duel relationship with the river. Twain lover the river with all his heart, it is this love that drives him to become a steamboat captain. Upon completing his training though he finds he no longer loves the river as he once did. The river has lost its majesty; Twain can no longer look at it without seeing minute details and signs. Through the presentation of detail Twain adeptly describes his change in attitude after becoming an educated pilot.
Twain's essay is broken down into three parts. The first is a tribute to
the beauty of nature. The second is an announcement of his skill as a captain.
And the third portion is an explanation of the downside of part two.
Part one focuses on Twain's vision of the river before becoming a captain.
Every sentence talks of the bliss Twain feels just being on the river. Every
word amplifies this description as each one adds to the mental picture created
by the author. Before becoming a pilot Twain saw nature for its beauty and
did not notice its nuances or potential dangers.
The second part of the essay is the reverse of the first. After becoming a pilot Twain can no longer see the river's beauty. Every color or smell or ripple or twist or turn of the river becomes something Twain must watch out for as the Captain. He describes this change with pure description. His language no longer conjures up visions of beauty, but instead gives a look inside a captain's mind of worry and foreboding. Phrases like, "shoaling up dangerously," and "show a dissolving bar" provide detailed description of what Twain must avoid in order to survive on the river.
The final portion of the essay explains how terrible Twain's new knowledge is. Twain wonders if the doctor can see beauty in a persons face. The detailed questioning is a reflection of Twain's own feeling. He wonders if he will ever see the rivers detailed imagery again, or will he be stuck always looking at the river through a captain's eyes.
Twain's essay uses imagery and concrete description to convey his sense of yearning. Yearning for things to be beautiful again and for others to stay true to their roots and not search too hard for deeper meaning. Twain wants others to realize that while knowledge can be powerful, it can also destroy once sense of beauty, and it is through description and contrasting imagery that this message is conveyed.
