why did mark twain decide to change his name to mark twain?

Answer 1

Why Samuel Clemens wrote under a pseudonym is a mystery to me. Mark Twain is actually a depth reading from a riverboat, and I know Clemens was a pilot on a river boat among other things. He may have used the name as an insider name for the region in which he lived. Something similar to rappers today, and the evocative names by which they are known.

Answer 2

I read this on one site:

"The name Mark Twain came about as it was an old Nautical term, as stated above. They would mark depth on the Mississippi River by dropping a demarkated rope in the me, because at Mark Twain, it was safe to sail along."

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Mark%20Twain


Here's an even better reference brom a Brandeis University site:

"Twain obtained his own pilot's license in 1859 and spent more time traveling up and down the Mississippi River. His exploits in this period, which Twain recalled with particular warmth and enthusiasm, eventually served as material for some of his most inspired writing. But even while traveling along the river he continued supplying occasional missives to various publications, including one that is believed to be the first that he signed as Mark Twain. His initial publication as Twain is a lampoon of an account published by riverboat captain Isaiah Sellers under the pseudonym Mark Twain (the name is, itself, a nautical term). Legend has it that Sellers was so embarrassed by Twain's parody and Twain, consequently, was so regretful that he assumed the pseudonym as a means of atonement."

http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/twainbio.html

Answer 3

Because he was a smart aleck. I've never heard Why he did it, I think, though, it was fairly common to have a none' de plume in those days. However, he chose Mark Twain because he was wrked on a river back and one of the duties was testing the depth of the water so you didn't get caught on a sand bar. He listed to the men periodically calling out "Mark Twain" Which was a depth indicator and he liked the sound.

Answer 4

Samuel Clemens was into boating. The depth of water is measured by a rope with a weight attached; markers of various sorts are attached to the rope. The depth is reported in fathoms (six feet); if the water is twelve feed deep, the leadsman would call out "By the mark, twain!"

Answer 5

in case you could describe a patriot as one that strives to insure that his or her government continues to be in verify then definite, Mark Twain grow to be a patriot. Twain in many circumstances offered social commentary of his time; as do I. definite, this is my civic accountability as a citizen to help save the government in line.

Answer 6

A lot of authors change their names simply because they do not like their old ones. Same thing with actors. I guess that he just liked the name Mark.

Answer 7

it fit his profile better. plus it makes him sound like an author.

Answer 8

he felt like it