“Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps…”(Line 1). What was William Hazlitt’s purpose in examining this question? In order to investigate into this matter there are a few things that must be discussed. These are the writer’s tone, POV (point of view), and literary and stylistic devices used. First, Hazlitt’s tone in this excerpt is a serious yet funny nature while still being able to deliver his explanations and reasons. “…showed first 75 words of 365 total…

…showed last 75 words of 365 total…not Mark Twain, its in the gray middle area. The syntax though resembles more the Romantics in its long embellished sentences. Hazlitt use of literary and stylistic devices, his tone and POV really express his purpose. Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal [to his our knowledge] that is struck with the difference between the way things are, and the way they ought to be.” (Lines 1-3)