Persuasion Lesson Plan

Austen has a habit of creating long sentences. One notable example comes when she describes the discussion between Benwick and Anne on poetry. What is the effect of this?

The use of sentences of various length create a sense of rhythm in prose (and in any form of writing). Encourage students to think of this in musical terms. Longer sentences create a sense of melody: sentiments blend into other sentiments and form a long, literary sense of flow. Shorter sentences create a more staccato rhythm. In this example, Austen uses a very long sentence to create a sense of the depth and engagement of Anne and Benwick’s conversation about poetry. This is particularly meaningful given...