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Difficulty: MediumPersonification and Anthropomorphism

Read the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "Storm Fear" (1913):

"When the wind works against us in the dark,
And whispers, 'You can't get out!'
And the strength of the cold is at our throat,
It is no play of the mind to say what cold does,
But the giant goes by, a-wing and a-foot,"

In the passage, the personification of the wind and the cold serves primarily to achieve which of the following effects?

  1. Convey the speaker's sense of vulnerability by characterizing the natural elements as an active, menacing opponentAnswer
  2. B
    Offer a literal, meteorological explanation of the storm's physical velocity and temperature drop
  3. C
    Reveal the poet's autobiographical anxieties about maintaining a farm during New England winters
  4. D
    Catalogue the specific figurative language techniques that the speaker uses to describe winter
  5. E
    Create a comforting, nostalgic atmosphere by framing the blizzard as a familiar character from folklore

Answer

Convey the speaker's sense of vulnerability by characterizing the natural elements as an active, menacing opponent
The correct answer is correct because the speaker personifies the wind as an actively hostile entity that 'works against us' and 'whispers' threateningly, the cold as a physical assailant grasping at the throat, and the storm as a menacing 'giant.' This imagery elevates the setting from a mere backdrop to an active opponent, thereby emphasizing the speaker's vulnerability, isolation, and lack of agency.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the instances of personification within the provided lines
The wind is described as working against the speaker and whispering a warning ('You can't get out!'), the cold has 'strength ... at our throat,' and the storm is called a 'giant' that 'goes by.'
Before analyzing the function of the device, you must identify where and how personification is being employed in the text.
2
Analyze the tone and emotional resonance created by these personifications
The verbs ('works against,' 'whispers,' 'at our throat') and the noun ('giant') suggest active hostility, imprisonment, physical threat, and overwhelming size, which evokes fear and helplessness in the speaker.
This helps determine the psychological and thematic impact of the figurative language on the reader and the speaker's state of mind.
3
Synthesize the findings to determine the primary function of these personifications in the passage
By turning the storm into an active, thinking, and aggressive adversary (a giant), the poem emphasizes the speaker's vulnerability and isolation, making the correct answer the option that highlights the characterization of natural elements as a menacing opponent.
Connecting the device's specific tone to the broader meaning of the lines allows for the identification of the correct analytical interpretation.

Key Concept

Analyzing the thematic function and effect of personification in a poetic passage
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Topics

Personification and Anthropomorphism

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