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What are the best opening lines in literature?
15 of the best first lines in fiction
- ‘Call me Ishmael’
- ‘I am an invisible man’
- ‘The story so far: in the beginning, the universe was created.
- ‘Mother died today.
- ‘It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York’
How do you write a good opening line?
6 Tips for Writing a Great Opening Line
- State your theme.
- Begin with a strange detail.
- Establish your character’s voice.
- Introduce your narrative style.
- Convey the stakes.
- Set the scene.
What is the opening sentence of Jane Eyre?
Jane Eyre (1847)“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.” The polar opposite to Austen and Dickens, this line plunges the reader into the narrative, but in a low-key tone of disappointed expectations that captures Jane Eyre’s dismal circumstances.
What does the opening line of 1984 suggest?
But notice in this opening line that it isn’t just one clock malfunctioning, but the clocks. In this world, the clocks striking thirteen is not an aberration, but a normal way of life. In this way, Orwell subtly alerts the reader that statements of truth in this fictional society should be called into question.
What is the opening line of Oliver Twist?
‘Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small — to wit, a workhouse and in this workhouse was born, on a day and date which I need not …
What is a strong opening sentence?
A good hook might also be a question or a claim—anything that will elicit an emotional response from a reader. Think about it this way: a good opening sentence is the thing you don’t think you can say, but you still want to say. Now’s your chance to show a reader why they should want to read it.
What is the opening line of Anna Karenina?
The first sentence of Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina is: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” (Tolstoy, 1875-1877/2001, p.
What is the opening line of Pride and Prejudice?
‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife’.
What are the best opening lines for a speech?
Guess the Speech: Five of the best speech opening lines. Speech A: Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving. Speech B: For a long time, there was me, and my body. Me was composed of stories, of cravings, of strivings, of desires of the future.
What are some of the best opening lines in literature?
THE BEST 43 OPENING LINES IN NOVEL WRITING HISTORY. 1. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”. – Jane Austen, Pride and 2. “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember
What do you do when your opening line is boring?
Well, in public speaking, if your opening line is boring, it marks the END of your speech. It will bore your audience to sleep. You won’t want that, would you? Instead of starting with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening.
What happens if the opening line of a speech is boring?
Well, in public speaking, if your opening line is boring, it marks the END of your speech. It will bore your audience to sleep. You won’t want that, would you?