We explain what is a prosopopeia or personification as a stylistic figure, its characteristics and various examples.
The prosopopoeias personify concrete or abstract referents.What is prosopopoeia?
In rhetoric Y literature, the prosopopeia or personification is a stylistic figure that consists of attributing human properties to a referent that commonly lacks them, such as an animal, a plant or an object, whether concrete or abstract. These human properties can refer to speech, song, feeling or thinking, or any other condition that gives them the characteristics of a person.
Personification is a resource very common in different areas, especially in the literary, children's or oratory. It is also called an ontological metaphor (that is, referring to being).
Its name comes from the Greek prossopon (composed by pros, "Forward", and opposition, "Face"), which was the name of the masks used by the actors in the tragedy classical, and with which in some cases they could interpret in this way gods, animals or destiny itself.
In this way, it would be the opposite of animalization (attributing animal traits) or reification (attributing traits of things). Prosopopoeia is also called speeches, texts or speeches that are bombastic, unnecessarily solemn, or excessively rhetorical.
Characteristics of the prosopopeia
The prosopopeia is characterized by:
- It consists of a type of metaphor and / or stylistic procedure, since it fulfills the function of better illustrating what has been said or expressing it in more aesthetic terms.
- Attributes to an animal or inanimate referent (even if it is abstract or imaginary) actions or characteristics of a person.
- It is common in fables, children's stories, literary texts or metaphorical, and in the language spoken.
Examples of prosopopoeia
Here are some examples of personification:
- Later, winter knocked on his door.
- "Eat it," said the serpent to Eve.
- That night the wind whispered in his ear.
- The hours dragged on until his mother's return.
- In autumn the trees are stripped of their foliage.
- The violins wept, as the drum coughed.
- Oh, cruel fate, you condemn me!
- The city was noble and stately.
- Tulips bowed as he passed, as if in a bow.
- The moon poked its blind eye over the mountain range.
- Soldiers, freedom awaits us and duty calls upon us!
- Don't make me talk, sweet wine, I have to keep this secret!
- The trumpets cheered the winner of the contest.