a narrative essay on a topic he who laughs last laughs best

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'He laughs best who laughs last'(proverb). it is true for this story because

• A. the picnickers were enjoying themselves
• B. finally he found his fish
• C. Alan played a good trick on the picnickers
• D. fishing is a pastime
• E. Alan likes country life

Correct Answer: Option C

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What Does “He who laughs last, laughs best” Mean and How to Use It in IELTS?

When preparing for the IELTS exam, understanding idiomatic expressions, their meanings, and their appropriate usage can significantly enhance your performance, especially in the Speaking and Writing sections. One such idiom is “He who laughs last, laughs best.” In this article, we will delve into the meaning of this idiom, its usage, and how it can be effectively incorporated into your IELTS practice.

Table of Contents

• 1.1 Definition and Meaning
• 1.2 Synonyms and Antonyms
• 2.1 Popularity in IELTS
• 2.2.1 Speaking Part 2
• 2.2.2 Writing Task 2
• 3.1 Effective Combinations
• 3.2 Idioms and Expressions with Similar Meanings
• 4 Conclusion

Understanding the Idiom

Definition and meaning.

The expression “He who laughs last, laughs best” is a proverb that conveys the idea that the person who ultimately succeeds or prevails enjoys the most satisfaction, even if others might find temporary success or mockery amusing. The long-term victor has the most genuine reason to celebrate.

• He – /hiː/ (pronoun): Refers to a person in a general sense, regardless of gender.
• Laugh – /læf/ (verb): To make sounds with one’s voice to show amusement.
• Last – /læst/ (adverb): At the final point or end.
• Best – /bɛst/ (adjective): Of the highest quality or most excellent.

Synonyms and Antonyms

• Synonyms : Ultimately triumphant, final victor, end victor, true winner.
• Antonyms : Early success, premature victory, short-term winner.

Usage in IELTS Exam

Popularity in ielts.

Idiomatic expressions like “He who laughs last, laughs best” are useful in demonstrating advanced language skills, which are crucial for achieving higher band scores in the IELTS exam. Specifically, these expressions are beneficial in the Speaking test to exhibit knowledge of colloquial language and in the Writing test to add sophistication to your essays.

Sample Exam Questions

Speaking part 2.

You might be asked to describe a situation where someone achieved success despite initial setbacks. Utilizing the idiom in your response can enhance your answer:

• Sample Question : Describe a time when you or someone you know overcame difficulties to achieve success.
• Sample Answer : “My friend initially struggled in his career, facing numerous rejections. However, he continued to work hard and eventually received a highly prestigious job offer. Truly, he who laughs last, laughs best .”

In essays discussing success, perseverance, or the impact of persistence vs. immediate results, this idiom can provide a powerful conclusion or a compelling point.

• Sample Task : Some people succeed because they are given opportunities early in life, while others succeed through continuous effort. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
• Sample Answer : “While early opportunities significantly contribute to success, it is those who persist despite challenges who often achieve more meaningful and lasting victories. Indeed, he who laughs last, laughs best .”

Combining the Idiom with Other Words

Effective combinations.

• Ultimate triumph : “In the end, it was his ultimate triumph that mattered. He who laughs last, laughs best. “
• Final victory : “Despite early obstacles, her final victory was the sweetest. He who laughs last, laughs best. “
• True winner : “Challenges come and go, but the true winner will always emerge in the end. He who laughs last, laughs best. “

Idioms and Expressions with Similar Meanings

Better late than never : It is better to do something late than not at all.

• “He finally completed his degree at the age of 40, and he believes better late than never. “

The last shall be first : Those who are currently at the bottom will eventually rise to the top.

• “She started as an intern but became the CEO. Sometimes, the last shall be first. “

Every dog has its day : Everyone will have their chance at success eventually.

• “Though he struggled for years, his moment came proving that every dog has its day. “

Understanding and effectively using idiomatic expressions like “He who laughs last, laughs best” can significantly enhance your IELTS performance. Not only do they demonstrate advanced language proficiency, but they also add depth and color to your responses. Practice incorporating such idioms into your speech and writing to boost your confidence and ultimately, your band score.

To continue building your vocabulary and mastering idiomatic expressions, you can explore related practices such as describing personal experiences, reflecting on famous success stories, and debating various perspectives on achieving success. Keep practicing, and remember – in the world of IELTS, persistence and dedication will lead you to laugh last and laugh best.

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What is the “Rule of Thumb” and How to Use it in IELTS?

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English Guide

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He laughs best who laughs last.: Learn what the means through example!

What does “he laughs best who laughs last.” mean.

"He laughs best who laughs last" means that those who ultimately succeed or triumph in a situation will find the most satisfaction and joy in it. It emphasizes the importance of perseverance and not giving up, even when things are difficult.

What context can I use the in?

Don't worry about their mocking, remember that he laughs best who laughs last . Your success will be the ultimate revenge.

They may be laughing now, but remember that he laughs best who laughs last . Keep working hard and prove them wrong.

It may seem like they're winning now, but remember that he laughs best who laughs last . Stay focused and keep pushing forward

Is “He laughs best who laughs last.” an expression, an idiom, or a proverb?

“He laughs best who laughs last.” is a proverb. A proverb is a short saying that teaches us something important or gives us advice. Unlike an idiom, it’s easy to understand even if it uses figurative language.

How would I use “He laughs best who laughs last.” effectively in context?

You can use "He laughs best who laughs last" to emphasize the importance of perseverance and not giving up, even when faced with challenges or setbacks. It suggests that those who ultimately succeed or triumph in a situation will find the most satisfaction and joy in it. For example, if someone is being mocked or underestimated, you might say, 'Don't worry about their mocking, remember that he laughs best who laughs last. Your success will be the ultimate revenge.'

Despite facing numerous obstacles, she remained determined and focused on her goals, knowing that he laughs best who laughs last.

In a competitive environment, it's important to stay resilient and keep working hard, as he laughs best who laughs last.

When faced with adversity, it's crucial to maintain a positive attitude and keep pushing forward, remembering that he laughs best who laughs last.

Similar phrases to “He laughs best who laughs last.”:

Patience is a virtue

It is important to be patient and wait for the right moment or outcome

She knew that patience is a virtue and continued to work diligently towards her goals.

Slow and steady wins the race

Taking one's time and being consistent leads to success

He believed in the saying 'slow and steady wins the race' and approached his work with patience and persistence.

Every cloud has a silver lining

There is something positive or beneficial in every difficult situation

Even though she lost her job, she believed that every cloud has a silver lining and used the opportunity to pursue her passion.

Good things to know:

Where does the phrase “he laughs best who laughs last.” come from.

The origin of the phrase "He laughs best who laughs last" is unknown.

Is “He laughs best who laughs last.” common in everyday conversation?

Yes, "He laughs best who laughs last" is a well-known proverb that is often used in everyday conversation. It is commonly used to encourage perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges.

What tone does “He laughs best who laughs last.” have?

"He laughs best who laughs last" conveys a tone of determination and optimism. It encourages individuals to stay strong and keep working towards their goals, knowing that their ultimate success will bring them the greatest satisfaction.

Can “He laughs best who laughs last.” be used in informal and formal settings?

The proverb "He laughs best who laughs last" can be used in both informal and formal settings. It is a versatile phrase that conveys the idea of perseverance and triumph. You can use it in everyday conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, as well as in more formal situations such as presentations, speeches, or written essays.

Can it be used by itself, or is it usually part of a sentence?

It is commonly used as part of a sentence to convey its full meaning. For example, 'Despite the challenges, she remained determined, knowing that he laughs best who laughs last.' However, in informal conversations, people might understand the proverb even if used alone, like saying 'Remember, he laughs best who laughs last!' to imply the importance of perseverance.

Synonyms & Antonyms

• keep your chin up
• stay the course
• persistence pays off
• never give up
• perseverance leads to victory
• throw in the towel
• give up easily
• quit while you're ahead
• accept defeat

This content was generated with the assistance of AI technology based on RedKiwi's unique learning data. By utilizing automated AI content, we can quickly deliver a wide range of highly accurate content to users. Experience the benefits of AI by having your questions answered and receiving reliable information!

He who laughs last, laughs best

English sayings.

He who laughs last, laughs best or He who laughs last, laughs longest/hardest/loudest are English sayings used in situations when certain people may seem to hold an advantage at a given point or seem to have things under control but might actually end up losing in the end. They’re also related to another expression: to have the last laugh . The person who laughs at the end, or has the last laugh is usually the underdog, the person who seemed to be losing right before the end or who, at the beginning, seemed to have the least chance of winning. When this person turns out to be successful or come in first in a situation then we can say that he had the last laugh .

The expression was first used in a play called The Christmas Prince in 1608: 

Laugh on laugh on my friend

Hee laugheth best that laugheth to the end  

This proverb encourages us to be patient enough to see something through to the end, because even if we may seem to be losing at the beginning, things could eventually change in our favour. Even if we might not seem successful now, we could be the winners in the end, we just need to persevere. At the same time, it also warns us that there is no point in getting ahead of ourselves and celebrating something that is not already a done deal. And we should especially resist laughing at whoever seems to be losing or rubbing our possible victory in their face. The ending might be surprising and things could turn around. The real winner will only be known after the fact and they could be the ones laughing at us in the end. At that point they could also say to us that revenge is sweet  or that revenge is a dish best served cold .

Let’s take the following example:

Tom: The other team seemed to be winning so they started celebrating the victory.

Ellen: They celebrated too soon as they lost in the end, and we won. He who laughs last, laughs best .

What about you? Have you ever been in a situation where you had the last laugh?

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Passive-Aggression

Smiles and laughter: take care how you interpret them, is having the last laugh about getting justice or getting even.

Posted June 7, 2023 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

• What Is Passive Aggression?
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• How “he who laughs last, laughs best” should be interpreted depends on the context in which it occurs.
• Both smiles and laughs can be cordial or contemptuous—compare a heartfelt chuckle with a disdainful cackle.
• Playing tit for tat can liken you to those who mocked you, so just “returning the favor” is hardly laudatory.

The common expression “He who laughs last, laughs best” is far more ambiguous than, at first blush, it might seem. Strangely, something quite profound—and frankly, rather suspect—about human nature lurks within this unusually paradoxical utterance.

But precisely what such laughter means depends on the particular context.

Realistically, those who laugh at you aren’t simply doubting you. They’re ridiculing you, dismissing or rejecting your proposal or plan. And that’s just plain mean.

Still, if you have faith in your endeavor and continue to pursue it, it may well turn out successful. And so, whether literally or figuratively, you’re the one who gets the last laugh. In this instance, it might be asked whether such laughter is best regarded as an affirmation—that you never lost confidence in your forecast, albeit it strikes others as misguided.

Or might your reaction be driven by a vengeful desire to belittle those who belittled you earlier?

Is a Smile as “Two-Faced” as Laughter?

It’s fascinating how ambiguous seemingly simple and straightforward maxims can be. So if, for instance, you consider the many connotations for the word smile (laughter’s first cousin), you need to reflect on how these connotations differ dramatically.

Typically, a smile is understood as patently different from its antonym, frown —implying a polite, affable, or welcome response to (or from) another. Whoever prompted the smile would have said or done something pleasing or gratifying, maybe leaving the other party grinning, even beaming.

All the same, if your boss demanded you smile at an obstinate customer, regardless of how you actually felt toward them, that smile would be forced, strained, and insincere. In a word, phony . Or, if your smile was smirky, it might not just be inauthentic but signal annoyance or downright derision.

As the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, a smirk is smiling in “an irritatingly smug, conceited, or silly way.” So no one but a masochist could possibly enjoy being at the receiving end of such a facial expression.

At times, then, a smile can betray feelings sharply contrary to pleasure or amusement. And ironically, this smile (i.e., a fake, fraudulent one) wouldn’t represent the opposite of a frown at all. For barely concealed inside the smile may reside a frown that’s condescending or disapproving.

Returning to First Laugh or Last Laugh: Different and the Same

Doubtless, you’re familiar with the common distinction between “laughing at” and “laughing with.” So if nothing else, laughing last would seem justified in situations where those who laughed at you, thereby exhibiting disdain for you, were truly mean-spirited.

Moreover, these possibly contemptuous individuals may not only have expected you to fail but secretly hoped you would.

Consider common characterizations emphasizing that when people laugh at you, they’re mocking or making jokes about you. And a word that perfectly zeroes in on such unmerciful, discrediting laughter is “jeering.”

They may have perceived you as competing with them, such that if you succeeded (i.e., won), they’d have to admit defeat. And such an outcome could foster anxiety , sorrow, or self-pity by obliging them to see you as superior, a contingency perhaps intolerable to their prideful ego.

Again, laughter can signify adverse as well as favorable feelings. So although a broad smile (or smiling “ear-to-ear”—another idiom) is generally akin to laughter, that doesn’t mean you can assume that, in all contexts, it’s positive or trustworthy.

The root definition of the laughing-last phrase is undeniably positive. As one dictionary describes it: “If you say that you have the last laugh, you mean that you become successful at something so that people who criticize or oppose you look foolish.” In other words, those who originally laughed at you richly deserve to be laughed at in return.

Nonetheless, if you’re the one laughing last, your own behavior is subject to all kinds of evaluations, not all of which are positive.

True, your laughing last could be seen as virtuous, signaling your dogged persistence in working at something that others discouraged or disparaged. And, too, it could be viewed as righteous, revealing your satisfaction in attaining a fair, equitable, or “just” result.

On the contrary, however, your laugh might be understood as not laudable at all if it were motivated by the ego-driven desire to get back at someone who (whether intentionally or accidentally) made you feel put down.

What Else Needs to Be Understood About Vindictive Laughter?

The Cambridge Dictionary , weighing in on the justification of laughing last, notes that if you succeed, despite others’ assuming you’ll fail, then those critical of your ideas will finally get their comeuppance.

And it provides a forceful example of this victory: “She was fired from the company last year, but she had the last laugh when she was hired by their main rival at twice the salary.”

All the same, it might be added that playing “tit for tat” can take you down to the same level as those who taunted you. So “returning the favor” (yet another idiom—and our language is teeming with them) isn’t particularly admirable either.

In fact, getting the last laugh can be as ruthlessly competitive, aggressive, antagonistic, combative, and even cutthroat as those who laughed at you earlier. For the many synonyms linked to this phenomenon include conquer , trounce , vanquish , blow away , and take it all.

Moreover, quotations pertinent to this intriguing subject generally include some that aren’t very flattering. Take, for instance, these three egotistical citations:

“He who last laughs, laughs the haughtiest.” — Louise Rennison

And here, some of the harsher synonyms for laughing might be noted—like snickering and sniggering , implying laughter that’s condescending, insulting, and disrespectful—not to mention cackling —a shrill, sadistic laugh often associated with spiteful, malevolent witches.]

“I may never let go of my wrath, my anger , but I will always have the last laugh.” — Corey Taylor “The deed is done but the show isn’t over. You might smile now but the last laugh will be mine. I know I lost but it was a lesson I learned, and victory will be mine, though now I do whine.” — Rohit Sachdeva

To conclude, this laughing-last expression at its best indicates how earlier feelings of hurt from being made fun of can potentially transform into feelings of gratification in proclaiming one’s competence, dignity, and self-respect.

I’ll end here with a quote that, humorously, should merit both a smile and a chuckle:

"Some people called me fish lips because I had these really full lips. Now I’m sure all of those same girls are getting collagen injections, so I’m having the last laugh." — Denise Richards

© 2022 Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.

Ambadar, Z., Cohn, J. F., & Reed, L. I. (2009). All smiles are not created equal: Morphology and Timing of Smiles perceived as amused, polite, and embarrassed/Nervous. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 33 (1), 17-34. doi: 10.1007/s10919-008-0059-5

Paul Ekman Group (2023). Science of smiling: Different types of smiles. https://www.paulekman.com/blog/science-of-smiling/

Rychlowska, M., Jack, R. E., Garrod, G. B., Schyns, P. G., Martin, J. D., & Niedenthal, P. M. (2017), Functional smiles: Tools for love, sympathy, and war. Psychological Science. 28 (9) , 1259-1270. doi: 10.1177/0956797617706082

Singh, M. (2019, Jul 1). The science of smiles, real and fake. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/01/735822187/the-science-of-smiles-real-and-fake

2. LAUGHING

Barker, L. A. (2017, May 1). The science of laughter—and why it also has a dark side. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-science-of-laughter-and-why-it-also-has-a-dark-side1/

Curran, W., McKeown, G. J., Rychlowska, M., André, E., Wagner, J., & Lingenfelser, F. (2018, Jan 12). Social context disambiguates the interpretation of laughter. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02342/full

Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. , is the author of Paradoxical Strategies in Psychotherapy and The Vision of Melville and Conrad . He holds doctorates in English and Psychology. As of mid-July 2024, Dr. Seltzer has published some 590 posts, which have received over 54 million views.

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3 Great Narrative Essay Examples + Tips for Writing

General Education

A narrative essay is one of the most intimidating assignments you can be handed at any level of your education. Where you've previously written argumentative essays that make a point or analytic essays that dissect meaning, a narrative essay asks you to write what is effectively a story .

But unlike a simple work of creative fiction, your narrative essay must have a clear and concrete motif —a recurring theme or idea that you’ll explore throughout. Narrative essays are less rigid, more creative in expression, and therefore pretty different from most other essays you’ll be writing.

But not to fear—in this article, we’ll be covering what a narrative essay is, how to write a good one, and also analyzing some personal narrative essay examples to show you what a great one looks like.

What Is a Narrative Essay?

At first glance, a narrative essay might sound like you’re just writing a story. Like the stories you're used to reading, a narrative essay is generally (but not always) chronological, following a clear throughline from beginning to end. Even if the story jumps around in time, all the details will come back to one specific theme, demonstrated through your choice in motifs.

Unlike many creative stories, however, your narrative essay should be based in fact. That doesn’t mean that every detail needs to be pure and untainted by imagination, but rather that you shouldn’t wholly invent the events of your narrative essay. There’s nothing wrong with inventing a person’s words if you can’t remember them exactly, but you shouldn’t say they said something they weren’t even close to saying.

Another big difference between narrative essays and creative fiction—as well as other kinds of essays—is that narrative essays are based on motifs. A motif is a dominant idea or theme, one that you establish before writing the essay. As you’re crafting the narrative, it’ll feed back into your motif to create a comprehensive picture of whatever that motif is.

For example, say you want to write a narrative essay about how your first day in high school helped you establish your identity. You might discuss events like trying to figure out where to sit in the cafeteria, having to describe yourself in five words as an icebreaker in your math class, or being unsure what to do during your lunch break because it’s no longer acceptable to go outside and play during lunch. All of those ideas feed back into the central motif of establishing your identity.

The important thing to remember is that while a narrative essay is typically told chronologically and intended to read like a story, it is not purely for entertainment value. A narrative essay delivers its theme by deliberately weaving the motifs through the events, scenes, and details. While a narrative essay may be entertaining, its primary purpose is to tell a complete story based on a central meaning.

Unlike other essay forms, it is totally okay—even expected—to use first-person narration in narrative essays. If you’re writing a story about yourself, it’s natural to refer to yourself within the essay. It’s also okay to use other perspectives, such as third- or even second-person, but that should only be done if it better serves your motif. Generally speaking, your narrative essay should be in first-person perspective.

Though your motif choices may feel at times like you’re making a point the way you would in an argumentative essay, a narrative essay’s goal is to tell a story, not convince the reader of anything. Your reader should be able to tell what your motif is from reading, but you don’t have to change their mind about anything. If they don’t understand the point you are making, you should consider strengthening the delivery of the events and descriptions that support your motif.

Narrative essays also share some features with analytical essays, in which you derive meaning from a book, film, or other media. But narrative essays work differently—you’re not trying to draw meaning from an existing text, but rather using an event you’ve experienced to convey meaning. In an analytical essay, you examine narrative, whereas in a narrative essay you create narrative.

The structure of a narrative essay is also a bit different than other essays. You’ll generally be getting your point across chronologically as opposed to grouping together specific arguments in paragraphs or sections. To return to the example of an essay discussing your first day of high school and how it impacted the shaping of your identity, it would be weird to put the events out of order, even if not knowing what to do after lunch feels like a stronger idea than choosing where to sit. Instead of organizing to deliver your information based on maximum impact, you’ll be telling your story as it happened, using concrete details to reinforce your theme.

3 Great Narrative Essay Examples

One of the best ways to learn how to write a narrative essay is to look at a great narrative essay sample. Let’s take a look at some truly stellar narrative essay examples and dive into what exactly makes them work so well.

A Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace

Today is Press Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, and I’m supposed to be at the fairgrounds by 9:00 A.M. to get my credentials. I imagine credentials to be a small white card in the band of a fedora. I’ve never been considered press before. My real interest in credentials is getting into rides and shows for free. I’m fresh in from the East Coast, for an East Coast magazine. Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish. I think they asked me to do this because I grew up here, just a couple hours’ drive from downstate Springfield. I never did go to the state fair, though—I pretty much topped out at the county fair level. Actually, I haven’t been back to Illinois for a long time, and I can’t say I’ve missed it.

Throughout this essay, David Foster Wallace recounts his experience as press at the Illinois State Fair. But it’s clear from this opening that he’s not just reporting on the events exactly as they happened—though that’s also true— but rather making a point about how the East Coast, where he lives and works, thinks about the Midwest.

In his opening paragraph, Wallace states that outright: “Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish.”

Not every motif needs to be stated this clearly , but in an essay as long as Wallace’s, particularly since the audience for such a piece may feel similarly and forget that such a large portion of the country exists, it’s important to make that point clear.

But Wallace doesn’t just rest on introducing his motif and telling the events exactly as they occurred from there. It’s clear that he selects events that remind us of that idea of East Coast cynicism , such as when he realizes that the Help Me Grow tent is standing on top of fake grass that is killing the real grass beneath, when he realizes the hypocrisy of craving a corn dog when faced with a real, suffering pig, when he’s upset for his friend even though he’s not the one being sexually harassed, and when he witnesses another East Coast person doing something he wouldn’t dare to do.

Wallace is literally telling the audience exactly what happened, complete with dates and timestamps for when each event occurred. But he’s also choosing those events with a purpose—he doesn’t focus on details that don’t serve his motif. That’s why he discusses the experiences of people, how the smells are unappealing to him, and how all the people he meets, in cowboy hats, overalls, or “black spandex that looks like cheesecake leotards,” feel almost alien to him.

All of these details feed back into the throughline of East Coast thinking that Wallace introduces in the first paragraph. He also refers back to it in the essay’s final paragraph, stating:

At last, an overarching theory blooms inside my head: megalopolitan East Coasters’ summer treats and breaks and literally ‘getaways,’ flights-from—from crowds, noise, heat, dirt, the stress of too many sensory choices….The East Coast existential treat is escape from confines and stimuli—quiet, rustic vistas that hold still, turn inward, turn away. Not so in the rural Midwest. Here you’re pretty much away all the time….Something in a Midwesterner sort of actuates , deep down, at a public event….The real spectacle that draws us here is us.

Throughout this journey, Wallace has tried to demonstrate how the East Coast thinks about the Midwest, ultimately concluding that they are captivated by the Midwest’s less stimuli-filled life, but that the real reason they are interested in events like the Illinois State Fair is that they are, in some ways, a means of looking at the East Coast in a new, estranging way.

The reason this works so well is that Wallace has carefully chosen his examples, outlined his motif and themes in the first paragraph, and eventually circled back to the original motif with a clearer understanding of his original point.

When outlining your own narrative essay, try to do the same. Start with a theme, build upon it with examples, and return to it in the end with an even deeper understanding of the original issue. You don’t need this much space to explore a theme, either—as we’ll see in the next example, a strong narrative essay can also be very short.

Death of a Moth by Virginia Woolf

After a time, tired by his dancing apparently, he settled on the window ledge in the sun, and, the queer spectacle being at an end, I forgot about him. Then, looking up, my eye was caught by him. He was trying to resume his dancing, but seemed either so stiff or so awkward that he could only flutter to the bottom of the window-pane; and when he tried to fly across it he failed. Being intent on other matters I watched these futile attempts for a time without thinking, unconsciously waiting for him to resume his flight, as one waits for a machine, that has stopped momentarily, to start again without considering the reason of its failure. After perhaps a seventh attempt he slipped from the wooden ledge and fell, fluttering his wings, on to his back on the window sill. The helplessness of his attitude roused me. It flashed upon me that he was in difficulties; he could no longer raise himself; his legs struggled vainly. But, as I stretched out a pencil, meaning to help him to right himself, it came over me that the failure and awkwardness were the approach of death. I laid the pencil down again.

In this essay, Virginia Woolf explains her encounter with a dying moth. On surface level, this essay is just a recounting of an afternoon in which she watched a moth die—it’s even established in the title. But there’s more to it than that. Though Woolf does not begin her essay with as clear a motif as Wallace, it’s not hard to pick out the evidence she uses to support her point, which is that the experience of this moth is also the human experience.

In the title, Woolf tells us this essay is about death. But in the first paragraph, she seems to mostly be discussing life—the moth is “content with life,” people are working in the fields, and birds are flying. However, she mentions that it is mid-September and that the fields were being plowed. It’s autumn and it’s time for the harvest; the time of year in which many things die.

In this short essay, she chronicles the experience of watching a moth seemingly embody life, then die. Though this essay is literally about a moth, it’s also about a whole lot more than that. After all, moths aren’t the only things that die—Woolf is also reflecting on her own mortality, as well as the mortality of everything around her.

At its core, the essay discusses the push and pull of life and death, not in a way that’s necessarily sad, but in a way that is accepting of both. Woolf begins by setting up the transitional fall season, often associated with things coming to an end, and raises the ideas of pleasure, vitality, and pity.

At one point, Woolf tries to help the dying moth, but reconsiders, as it would interfere with the natural order of the world. The moth’s death is part of the natural order of the world, just like fall, just like her own eventual death.

All these themes are set up in the beginning and explored throughout the essay’s narrative. Though Woolf doesn’t directly state her theme, she reinforces it by choosing a small, isolated event—watching a moth die—and illustrating her point through details.

With this essay, we can see that you don’t need a big, weird, exciting event to discuss an important meaning. Woolf is able to explore complicated ideas in a short essay by being deliberate about what details she includes, just as you can be in your own essays.

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

On the twenty-ninth of July, in 1943, my father died. On the same day, a few hours later, his last child was born. Over a month before this, while all our energies were concentrated in waiting for these events, there had been, in Detroit, one of the bloodiest race riots of the century. A few hours after my father’s funeral, while he lay in state in the undertaker’s chapel, a race riot broke out in Harlem. On the morning of the third of August, we drove my father to the graveyard through a wilderness of smashed plate glass.

Like Woolf, Baldwin does not lay out his themes in concrete terms—unlike Wallace, there’s no clear sentence that explains what he’ll be talking about. However, you can see the motifs quite clearly: death, fatherhood, struggle, and race.

Throughout the narrative essay, Baldwin discusses the circumstances of his father’s death, including his complicated relationship with his father. By introducing those motifs in the first paragraph, the reader understands that everything discussed in the essay will come back to those core ideas. When Baldwin talks about his experience with a white teacher taking an interest in him and his father’s resistance to that, he is also talking about race and his father’s death. When he talks about his father’s death, he is also talking about his views on race. When he talks about his encounters with segregation and racism, he is talking, in part, about his father.

Because his father was a hard, uncompromising man, Baldwin struggles to reconcile the knowledge that his father was right about many things with his desire to not let that hardness consume him, as well.

Baldwin doesn’t explicitly state any of this, but his writing so often touches on the same motifs that it becomes clear he wants us to think about all these ideas in conversation with one another.

At the end of the essay, Baldwin makes it more clear:

This fight begins, however, in the heart and it had now been laid to my charge to keep my own heart free of hatred and despair. This intimation made my heart heavy and, now that my father was irrecoverable, I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which only the future would give me now.

Here, Baldwin ties together the themes and motifs into one clear statement: that he must continue to fight and recognize injustice, especially racial injustice, just as his father did. But unlike his father, he must do it beginning with himself—he must not let himself be closed off to the world as his father was. And yet, he still wishes he had his father for guidance, even as he establishes that he hopes to be a different man than his father.

In this essay, Baldwin loads the front of the essay with his motifs, and, through his narrative, weaves them together into a theme. In the end, he comes to a conclusion that connects all of those things together and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of completion—though the elements may have been initially disparate, in the end everything makes sense.

You can replicate this tactic of introducing seemingly unattached ideas and weaving them together in your own essays. By introducing those motifs, developing them throughout, and bringing them together in the end, you can demonstrate to your reader how all of them are related. However, it’s especially important to be sure that your motifs and clear and consistent throughout your essay so that the conclusion feels earned and consistent—if not, readers may feel mislead.

5 Key Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Narrative essays can be a lot of fun to write since they’re so heavily based on creativity. But that can also feel intimidating—sometimes it’s easier to have strict guidelines than to have to make it all up yourself. Here are a few tips to keep your narrative essay feeling strong and fresh.

Develop Strong Motifs

Motifs are the foundation of a narrative essay . What are you trying to say? How can you say that using specific symbols or events? Those are your motifs.

In the same way that an argumentative essay’s body should support its thesis, the body of your narrative essay should include motifs that support your theme.

Try to avoid cliches, as these will feel tired to your readers. Instead of roses to symbolize love, try succulents. Instead of the ocean representing some vast, unknowable truth, try the depths of your brother’s bedroom. Keep your language and motifs fresh and your essay will be even stronger!

Use First-Person Perspective

In many essays, you’re expected to remove yourself so that your points stand on their own. Not so in a narrative essay—in this case, you want to make use of your own perspective.

Sometimes a different perspective can make your point even stronger. If you want someone to identify with your point of view, it may be tempting to choose a second-person perspective. However, be sure you really understand the function of second-person; it’s very easy to put a reader off if the narration isn’t expertly deployed.

If you want a little bit of distance, third-person perspective may be okay. But be careful—too much distance and your reader may feel like the narrative lacks truth.

That’s why first-person perspective is the standard. It keeps you, the writer, close to the narrative, reminding the reader that it really happened. And because you really know what happened and how, you’re free to inject your own opinion into the story without it detracting from your point, as it would in a different type of essay.

Stick to the Truth

Your essay should be true. However, this is a creative essay, and it’s okay to embellish a little. Rarely in life do we experience anything with a clear, concrete meaning the way somebody in a book might. If you flub the details a little, it’s okay—just don’t make them up entirely.

Also, nobody expects you to perfectly recall details that may have happened years ago. You may have to reconstruct dialog from your memory and your imagination. That’s okay, again, as long as you aren’t making it up entirely and assigning made-up statements to somebody.

Dialog is a powerful tool. A good conversation can add flavor and interest to a story, as we saw demonstrated in David Foster Wallace’s essay. As previously mentioned, it’s okay to flub it a little, especially because you’re likely writing about an experience you had without knowing that you’d be writing about it later.

However, don’t rely too much on it. Your narrative essay shouldn’t be told through people explaining things to one another; the motif comes through in the details. Dialog can be one of those details, but it shouldn’t be the only one.

Use Sensory Descriptions

Because a narrative essay is a story, you can use sensory details to make your writing more interesting. If you’re describing a particular experience, you can go into detail about things like taste, smell, and hearing in a way that you probably wouldn’t do in any other essay style.

These details can tie into your overall motifs and further your point. Woolf describes in great detail what she sees while watching the moth, giving us the sense that we, too, are watching the moth. In Wallace’s essay, he discusses the sights, sounds, and smells of the Illinois State Fair to help emphasize his point about its strangeness. And in Baldwin’s essay, he describes shattered glass as a “wilderness,” and uses the feelings of his body to describe his mental state.

All these descriptions anchor us not only in the story, but in the motifs and themes as well. One of the tools of a writer is making the reader feel as you felt, and sensory details help you achieve that.

What’s Next?

Looking to brush up on your essay-writing capabilities before the ACT? This guide to ACT English will walk you through some of the best strategies and practice questions to get you prepared!

Part of practicing for the ACT is ensuring your word choice and diction are on point. Check out this guide to some of the most common errors on the ACT English section to be sure that you're not making these common mistakes!

A solid understanding of English principles will help you make an effective point in a narrative essay, and you can get that understanding through taking a rigorous assortment of high school English classes !

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Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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He who laughs last laughs longest

What's the meaning of the phrase 'he who laughs last laughs longest', what's the origin of the phrase 'he who laughs last laughs longest'.

This proverb originated in Tudor England but, for once, wasn’t coined by Shakespeare. It is found in print in the play Christmas Prince, which was first performed, at Cambridge, around 1608:

Laugh on laugh on my freind Hee laugheth best that laugheth to the end

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Meaning of he who laughs last, laughs longest/best in English

He who laughs last, laughs longest/best.

• a feather in your cap idiom
• accomplishment
• achievement
• achievement test
• have something to your credit idiom
• have something under your belt idiom
• secret sauce
• sense of achievement
• stratosphere

Translations of he who laughs last, laughs longest/best

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serious and determined, especially too serious and unable to find your own actions funny

Simply the best! (Ways to describe the best)

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What Does It Mean to Get the "Last Laugh"?

If a person gets the “last laugh,” then he or she typically achieves something or is otherwise successful in a venture. This phrase in particular is often used to indicate that someone has failed in the past, or has not been the most successful in a particular venture previously. The idea of getting a “last laugh” is based on the idea that each person competing for a certain goal is likely to laugh upon achieving it. In this sense, the person who laughs last is the one who achieves final victory, or who excels over everyone else in completion of a goal.

The origin of the phrase “last laugh” stems from a longer phrase that has appeared in a number of different forms throughout various times. One of the oldest incarnations of the phrase can be found in an English play from about 1607 titled "The Christmas Prince," in which it is said, “He laugheth best that laugheth to the end.” This expression may have been in popular use at the time, but this is among the oldest known records of its use. While it does not use the exact words “last laugh,” this expression has remained in usage and changed over time.

More recent versions of this phrase or idiom typically include more modern phraseology but impart the same basic sentiment. For example, modern expressions include “He laughs best who laughs last” and “He who laughs last, laughs longest.” Both of these expressions are used to indicate the idea that someone who is the last person to laugh, or who has the longest laugh, is somehow the most accomplished or successful. This same concept has been shortened and extended to the simpler noun phrase, “last laugh,” which is typically attributed to someone, such as “He had the last laugh.”

In popular usage, a person who gets the “last laugh” is typically able to succeed despite previous failures, which implies that he or she has been laughed at before. A salesperson, for example, might be part of a major competition to get the most sales within a month in order to win a reward or pay bonus. If that salesperson has been struggling to sell products throughout much of the month, then others could be “laughing” in victory as they sell more goods or earn more money through sales. That salesperson can have the “last laugh,” however, if he or she manages to make a tremendous sale in the last few days of the month, which allows him or her to win the contest.

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Guest Essay

Trump Is Losing the Humor War

By Leif Weatherby

Dr. Weatherby is the director of the Digital Theory Lab at New York University.

Over the past decade, there’s one truth that liberals have been loath to admit: Donald Trump is funny. This aspect of his appeal prompts far less commentary than his far-right positions, his venality or his mogul’s bravado. But when you watch him at a rally, you can see he’s playing for laughs: jabbing at his opponents, doing crowd work, even being self-deprecating , sort of.

Cicero could write a treatise on Mr. Trump’s use of irony, as he’s proved himself a master of humorous misdirection. Liberals tend to think that irony is a type of wit that is aligned with progressivism. But for nearly a decade now, if you went looking for comedy in American politics, Mr. Trump would have been your best bet for finding it.

Now that magic is gone. Politics is about communication, and when Mr. Trump is on, his humor offers a clear outline of his worldview. These days, he looks lost. The fact that Mr. Trump is less sure-footed as a comedian may be a harbinger of a more significant uncertainty — an inability to land the punchlines because he can no longer identify the right setups.

Mr. Trump, a real-estate tycoon turned reality TV star, came to politics by way of humor. Whether it’s true or not that he decided to run in 2016 in response to President Barack Obama’s roast of him at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, there’s no doubt that Mr. Trump’s rise through the Republican ranks was partly thanks to his uncanny insult humor.

From the start, he evidenced an ability to pierce the veil of political politesse. “Low energy Jeb” Bush and “Little Marco” Rubio fell by the wayside as Mr. Trump marched toward the nomination. This was alpha male humor, Wall Street humor, but with Mr. Trump’s personal twist. He could quickly get under another politician’s skin while communicating real political points through jokes.

There’s something interesting about humor: We don’t get to choose what’s funny. We can be horrified when Mr. Trump says something like calling Elizabeth Warren “ Pocahontas ,” but the offensive jab also got at something real. Ms. Warren really did use a misleading claim to Native ancestry in her career and eventually apologized for it . Even through his racist dog whistles, you could usually hear Mr. Trump communicating a deeper, more viscerally effective point: Politicians are full of it.

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