Question

"Read the following passage and write a brief paragraph that identifies:

a) the subject of the passage
b) the author's purpose for writing
c) the intended audience
d) the tone of the piece, and
e) the perspective or point of view.
Be sure that your paragraph has a topic sentence that identifies the subject, and provide evidence (quotes) from the excerpt to support each part of the analysis.
I have seen the extreme vanity of this world: One hour I have been in health, and wealthy, wanting nothing. But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having nothing but sorrow and affliction. Before I knew what affliction meant, I was ready sometimes to wish for it. When I lived in prosperity, having the comforts of the world about me, my relations by me, my heart cheerful, and taking little care for anything, and yet seeing many, whom I preferred before myself, under many trials and afflictions, in sickness, weakness, poverty, losses, crosses, and cares of the world, I should be sometimes jealous least I should have my portion in this life, and that Scripture would come to my mind, For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth(Hebrews 12.6). But now I see the Lord had His time to scourge and chasten me.

Answer 1

Final Answer:

a) The passage reflects on the fleeting nature of worldly prosperity and the transformative impact of affliction.

b) The author's purpose is to convey personal realizations about life's complexities, targeting those who may resonate with the speaker's journey.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage centers on the speaker's profound realization about the ephemerality of worldly success and the transformative impact of affliction. The topic sentence encapsulates the subject of the passage by highlighting the speaker's reflections. Evidence from the excerpt, such as "One hour I have been in health, and wealthy, wanting nothing. But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having nothing but sorrow and affliction," supports the identification of the subject.

The author's purpose is inferred from phrases like "I have seen the extreme vanity of this world" and "now I see the Lord had His time to scourge and chasten me," indicating a journey of understanding life's complexities. The tone is reflective and contemplative, evident in phrases like "I should be sometimes jealous least I should have my portion in this life." The first-person perspective further reinforces the personal nature of the speaker's reflections.