The War Prayer Huck Finn

In the poem “The War Prayer” Mark Twain contrasts his more popular works such as The Story of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, by delivering his audience a political message on war. Although entertaining, the poem uses irony, contrast, and other literary elements to emphasize his disgust at the American society for glamorizing the deaths of innocent men for political interests. These elements allow Twain to accomplish his goal of pointing out the hypocrisy of society, and allows the underlying persuasive message to be understood by the reader. The anti-war message that Twain delivers in the “The War Prayer” is just as relevant today as America continues its’ imperialistic ways, causing loss of life, and destruction, in many countries throughout the

Twain further emphasizes this association by discussing the musical connection; “by an organ burst that shook the house” and fervent nature of the attendees who responded with “glowing eyes and beating hearts” and subsequently “poured out that tremendous invocation” (Twain, 1905). The war brewing on the forefront of Americans’ minds draws society into the grasp of the church trying to escape mortality by gaining the blessing of God himself. Although in most cases the pastor is the focal point of the church, his war prayers and support of the troops transitions him from the leader of the church to the leader of the war movement itself. Currently, pastors do not only extol the virtues of military service, but utilize religion to justify the advances of the United States religious hegemony. In today’s army branches chaplains are officers in the military chain of command, implying that religion is at the helm of leading the fight. Fundamental pastors support our military and the US ambitions by demonstrating the virtuous nature of service and sacrifice in support of national policies (Burdette, 2009) . Much like the example in the author’s poem, bands play, the shining masses parade forth and the preacher becomes the focused influence for the support of “one nation under God” in an effort to continue the nation’s observance of God as watching over the “sons and daughters” of America’s martial