Jack. I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town expressly to propose to her.

Algernon. I thought you had come up for pleasure? . . . I call that business.

Jack. How utterly unromantic you are!

Algernon. I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.

–The Importance of Being Earnest,
Oscar Wilde

What feature of a comedy of manners is present in the passage?

the differences between country and city life
an illustration of class differences
a commentary on marriage

Ask yourself all of the following questions before you even consider submitting your essay for grading. if your answer to even one of these questions is no, then you still have some work to do. does my introduction attempt to “hook” the reader? does my essay have a clear and specific thesis statement? does my essay accurately tell my story? does my essay indicate why i’m telling my story? have i described only my own experiences? have i used the first-person point of view (the pronoun “i”) throughout the essay? have i clearly indicated where paragraphs begin and end? does each of my paragraphs support my thesis statement? does my conclusion summarize and give closure to my essay? have i effectively proofread my essay? have i met the length requirement? is my essay formatted according to the instructions?

1. a poem that tells a story irony 2. taking on human characteristics narrative 3. a direct comparison between two things personification 4. words that are opposite the thoughts in a speaker's mind simile 5. implied comparison introduced with "as" and "like idiom 6. one's own manner of speaking metaphor

What can you infer about how the particular events in "the memoirs of the conquistador bernal del diaz de castillo" still affected the writer at the time of writing his memoir? he thinks of his dead crewmen with sadness and regrets that they died for nothing. he is still frustrated that one of his men accidentally kills himself by drinking too much water.  he thinks wistfully about the wealth he may have enjoyed if they had found gold in the yucatan.  he still considers indians liars.