How Does Arthur Rimbaud Use Personification In The Drunken Boat

How Personification Influences the Themes of Arthur Rimbaud’s “The Drunken Boat"
The Encyclopædia Britannica defines personification as “[a] figure of speech in which human characteristics are attributed to an abstract quality, animal, or inanimate object.” Ever since personification was first used in Homer’s works, several writers have used personification to help the audience to understand a character’s personality by personifying their actions and worldly possessions. However, a few atypical writers and poets, such as Arthur Rimbaud, use personification characterize previously unconventional protagonists in thematically appropriate ways. In fact, the personification in “The Drunken Boat” highlights the poem’s themes of freedom, adventure,

Additionally, the lines “Last winter, defer than an infant’s mind, / I ran,” personifies the ship as a child to imply that all living creatures desire freedom at a young age. Finally, “Freedom is felt as a kind of intoxication as (. . .) [the boat] compares himself to a cork dancing on the waves [line 14],” signifying that being liberated from servitude has given the protagonist the first taste of freedom, and the adventures that come with it (Encyclopedia.com). Meanwhile, the personification in Arthur Rimbaud’s “The Drunken Boat” is also used to convey the poem’s themes of adventure. Notably, the lines, “The slow rhythms of the pulsing glow of day, / Stronger than alcohol and vaster than our lyres, / The bitter reds of love ferment the way,” implies that the call to adventure by nature is more overpowering than manmade leisure such as alcohol and music (26-28). Specifically, it implies that the lumbering but reliable sun being able to surpass the lovely but fleeting pleasures of red

By physically personifying concepts such as the animalistic freedom found in nature, the poet can convey the natural allure associated with freedom and adventure. Afterward, the personification used near the end of the poem, such as the boat covered in seaweed or ship nearly falling apart due to water damage, aligns with the poem’s theme of the hubris of blindly exploring the world. By utilizing personification in this fashion, Arthur Rimbaud is able to tie all these themes together into one