Aman stood upon a railroad bridge in

northern alabama, looking down into the

swift water twenty feet below. the man's

hands were behind his back, the wrists bound

with a cord. a rope closely encircled his neck.

"an occurrence at owl creek bridge,"

ambrose bierce

what is about to happen to the man?

done

The man was about to be hanged.

Explanation:

Ambrose Bierce's short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" tells the story of how a convicted man was about to be hanged on the railroad bridge. The man, Peyton Farquhar, was a plantation farmer who was accused of trying to burn down the bridge during the Civil War.

The lines/ excerpt given in the question is from the first paragraph of the story which shows Peyton waiting for his death. The author/ speaker of the story is describing the scene and setting of the story, the exact point where we see Peyton (yet unnamed) waiting for the rope to be pulled which will finalize his death.

she was trying to use   reliable narrator.

each year on this day, i make it a point to listen to dr. martin luther king jr.’s great “i have a dream” speech. it’s electrifying every single time.

the content of dr. king’s speech, his inspiring presence, and the moment in history all came together to make the iconic “i have a dream” speech the defining moment of the american civil rights movement. but there are several other reasons why this speech, delivered over 50 years ago, remains an example of one of the best speeches in american history.

since part of my job is to people become better presenters, i’ve noticed several techniques that we can all learn from and be inspired by in this magnificent speech.

it’s anchored in a powerful related location

in most cases, you can’t handpick the spot to give a presentation, as mlk did for supreme symbolic effect when he stood on the steps of the lincoln memorial and echoed the opening words of the gettysburg address (“five score years ago . . ). but you absolutely can amplify your message by adapting it to your setting and location.