The fire blazed from the windows. The flames flickered up and out like fast, angry tongues. Crowds pooled across the street as t
he firefighters climbed ladders and sprayed hoses. It was above all a most bold and terrible sight, and those of the neighborhood could not help but speculate as to who had survived and who, most likely, had not. How would you describe the diction in the first three sentences?
Twain uses irony and sarcasm to characterize the king and duke in such a way that communicates his belief that pretending to be something you are not (for the sake of appearances) is both ridiculous and embarrassing.
