Question

In Christina Rossetti's "A Wintry Sonnet," speakers include the moon and the ocean. Of which literary technique are such speakers an example?
A. Symbolism
B. Imagery
C. Personification
D. Hyperbole

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Personification

Explanation:

A Wintry Sonnet (Christina Rossetti)

A Robin said: The Spring will never come,

 And I shall never care to build again.

A Rosebush said: These frosts are wearisome,

 My sap will never stir for sun or rain.

The half Moon said: These nights are fogged and slow,

I neither care to wax nor care to wane.

The Ocean said: I thirst from long ago,

 Because earth's rivers cannot fill the main.--

When Springtime came, red Robin built a nest,

 And trilled a lover's song in sheer delight.

 Grey hoarfrost vanished, and the Rose with might

 Clothed her in leaves and buds of crimson core.

The dim Moon brightened. Ocean sunned his crest,

 Dimpled his blue, yet thirsted evermore.

Here we see that Christine Rossetti used personification as her main literary technique.

Personification is a literary technique in which a thing (object or animal) is given human attributes (ability to talk, to walk, to think...)

For example, we see in this poem, “The half Moon said...” we are giving the moon the ability to speak, which is a human quality. That's why we can say that the moon has been personified in the given poem. The same we can say about the ocean "The Ocean said...", the ocean is not a living being, it can't speak, so this is personification.

There are a few reasons for using personification:

• it can be used as a method of imagery for a better understanding of some author's points of view
• it can be used to emphasize some idea
• it can be used to help paint a picture in your mind.

I hope it helped you :)