The color change in leaves is typically the initial mark of autumn for everyone. However, for English author A.A. Milne’s character in “A Word for Autumn”, it is only with the first celery that one recognizes that fall has begun. Milne creates a Dionysian character who is infatuated with celery. As humorous as it seems, Milne has a deeper meaning to this comical essay. The point Milne is trying to get across is that there are people in the world that are, in fact, as self-centered as his character. To express this, he uses many rhetorical strategies that expose the speaker’s persona and morals. Many may take Milne’s composition and think of it as purely a comedy with its sole purpose being to amuse the readers. Due to Milne’s satirical way of writing, it’s …show more content…
People, who take this position, believe that there is no way that someone could truly be that selfish and obtuse. However, Milne’s purpose of writing the passage is to enlighten his readers of what he thinks of society. Verbal Irony is used to illustrate that the speaker thinks he is better than everyone else and that because he is the only one that is worthy of celery, he deserves everything. In line 28 he says “Yes and it should be eaten alone, for it is the only food in which one really wants to hear oneself eat. Besides, in company one may have to consider the wants of others.” He’s so narcissistic that he doesn’t even want anyone in the room when he is eating his celery. When the stranger takes his celery, he acts as if the world had ended. This is because he believes that he deserves everything. He thinks the planet revolves around him and will not converse with any other traveler because he is eating his celery and wants to hear himself chew. Milne also uses hyperbole throughout his essay. He overstates the value of celery and makes it out to be a very vital thing. The narrator mentions that