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Pathos
Definition of Personification
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the... read full definition
Book 1, Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Moving to Amsterdam:
In Book 1, Chapter 3, Bradford describes the Puritans' flight from England to Holland, detailing the initial shock they received upon arriving in Amsterdam. Describing this transition, Bradford employs figurative language—including personification and smile—as a means of emphasizing the plight faced by his people:
For though they saw fair and beautiful cities, flowing with abundance of all sorts of wealth and riches, it was not long before they saw the grim and grisly face of poverty coming upon them like an armed man, with whom they must buckle and encounter, and from whom they could not fly; but they were armed with faith and patience against him and all his encounters; and though they were sometimes foiled, yet, by God’s assistance, they prevailed and got the victory.
Bradford uses both personification and simile to describe the experience of his fellow church members upon fleeing to Holland. Soon after arriving, the "face of poverty" approaches them "like an armed man," bringing to the forefront of the reader's mind the image of an assault, both physical and mental, like what the congregants experienced in England. Poverty, here is personified, having a grim face of its own with which to conduct this physical assault.
Related Themes:
Book 1, Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Experience:
In Book 1, Chapter 4, Bradford recounts the beginnings of the Leyden congregation's decision to colonize New England. The congregation is prompted to make this decision by external stressors, which Bradford describes figuratively through the use of personification:
After they had lived here for some eleven or twelve years, [...] several of them having died, and many others being now old, the grave mistress, Experience, having taught them much, their prudent governors began to apprehend present dangers and to scan the future and think of timely remedy.
In this passage, Bradford personifies experience as a "grave mistress," thus bringing to mind the image of a strict schoolteacher who forces all settlers to learn how to survive the hard way. It is this "Experience" acting upon the Leyden congregation in Holland,that prompts a drastic change. Much like students, the congregation has been challenged by the "grave mistress" to learn and grow. Despite the pain inflicted through these lessons of experience, the congregation has gained the confidence to live and work outside of the comforts of England in a land foreign but no less antagonistic. It is only through the actions of experience, here personified, that the congregation's governors acquired prudence.
Related Themes:
Book 2, Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Hearts and Tongues:
In a letter to Mr. Weston, included in Book 2, Chapter 2, Bradford replies to accusations of misconduct on behalf of his fellow colonists, against whom Weston holds a grudge for failing to repay him for his initial investment in the Plymouth colonists' voyage. Responding to the claim that the colonists spent too much time "discoursing, arguing, and consulting," Bradford uses personification to condemn those who gave Weston such a report:
But those who told you we spent so much time in discoursing and consulting, etc., their hearts can tell their tongues they lie. They care not, so that they salve their own sores, how they wound others. Indeed it is our calamity that we are, beyond expectation, yoked with some ill-disposed people, who, while they do no good themselves, corrupt and abuse others.
In this instance of personification, Bradford suggests that the "hearts" (representing in this instance the human conscience) and the "tongues" (or speech) of those disparaging the Plymouth community are out of sync. As a roundabout way of saying that these people are dishonest and turn their backs on their community, Bradford compels the "hearts" of these men to quite literally speak to their tongues, which lie and spread falsehood. This personification implies a lack of self-awareness or conscience in the men that "lied" to Weston.
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