The humorous story is told gravely; the teller does his best to conceal the fact that he even dimly suspects that there is anything funny about it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A humorous story is told seriously, hiding the teller’s doubt that anything is funny.
- In plain terms
- Funny tales are often presented with a straight face.
- What can you take from it?
- Humor can be masked by seriousness.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What does a serious tone add to a joke?
- When does seriousness undermine humor?
Another view
Not all serious stories contain humor.
More from Samuel Langhorne Clemens
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