Mark Twain was the first American writer to capture the unique and colorful vernacular of his country's populace. Instead of striving to perfect any particular literary form, Twain strove to precisely imprint on paper the colloquial speech, mannerisms, and experiences of the American people. In "Life on the Mississippi," Twain recounts the experience of achieving his childhood dream of becoming a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi. But in the process of mastering the river, he found it lost its grace, beauty, and poetry.