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Mark Twain (born Samuel Langhorne Clemens), November 30, 1835 — April 21, 1910, was an essayist, novelist, and humorist. He was considered one of the greatest humorists of his day. William Faulkner called him “the father of American literature” (Wikipedia links, non-affiliate). He’s considered the father of American literature.
(If I sound like a gushing fangirl, you’re right.)
He often used a simple trick to create many clever, funny lines.
Similes
A simile is a comparison between two items. That comparison is used to show the points of similarity between them.
This technique gets used often in poetry
Your teeth are like stars;
They come out at night.
They come back at dawn
When they’re ready to bite.
“Your Teeth” by Denise Rogers
Mark Twain used them differently, in fiction and elsewhere:
Contradictory Similes
This was how he used similes, often for his witticisms.
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
