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explicitness and uniqueness of simile in this poem considerably help the speaker to make his lover, as well the readers, understand how separation means to him.
Its less frequent use and the way the speaker uses it are significant to appeal the lover and the readers’ imagination about separation. They, then, are called to
participate in each illustration so that they recognize the importance of separation to expand the love as suggested by the speaker.
3. Personification
Personification is the use of figurative language that gives a life to nonhuman object. This figurative language treats the nonhuman objects as if they were a
living person by attributing them with human’s characters or actions. It allows the poets to dramatize the nonhuman’s world in order to deliver the meaning
precisely. The researcher identifies 37 occurrences of personification in these two poems. The further description of personification in these two poems can be seen
in below explanation. Line four of “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”, which says “The breath
goes now and some say, No: ” John Donne, “A Valediction: Forbidding
Mourning”, line 4, does contain an example of personification. The breath in that quotation does not literally go. The breath is impossible to have an ability to walk
and go in the real life. The real meaning of “the breath goes now” in that line is
actually a death. In archaic expression, breath is usually used to signify the existence of life because breath is an activity that can only be done by a living
person. When someone is dead, he spontaneously stops breathing. For that reason, the speaker
personifies “the breath” as if it went and left the body to imply that the
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virtuous men are already dead. Employing such personification, the speaker brings out more emotion than plainly stating that the virtuous men are dead. That
personification invites the readers to participate in the experiences presented in that expression. They imagine as if they were there, watching the man dying and
seeing his breath leaving. Therefore, they are able to feel the grief experienced by people in the poems when losing such dear worthy friend.
Line 9 of the same poem also shows an occurrence of personification. “Moving of the’ earth brings harms and fears,” John Donne, “A Valediction:
Forbidding Mourning”, line 9 mentioned in that line does contain personification. The moving of the earth or earthquake in that quotation
is attributed with human’s capability to bring something. In fact, the moving of the earth is only a natural
phenomenon that has no hand to bring something like human. The speaker employs personification in the above quotation to describe the effects of
earthquake vividly. The earthquake is a natural phenomenon that often happens in the earth. By personifying the moving of the earth, the speaker does not only
define what the earthquake and its effects are. He also describes a common perception that the coming of the earthquake is usually accompanied by severe
damages that harm and frighten human. In addition, the speaker of
“The Sun Rising” presents more occurrences of personification in this poem. He attributes almost every object in each line with
the capability of human being. Even, he presents the sun to whom he talks in the whole poem as if it were really exist and able to respond him. His reason to
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personify the sun is to dramatize his love, which he assumes to be more powerful than the sun.
One of the examples of the personification appears in line 15, “If her eyes
have not blinded thine,” John Donne, The Sun Rising: line 15. That expression
is a personification because the speaker describes “her eyes” to have an ability to
blind other eyes. Denotatively, “her eyes” actually are part of human body that
functions as organ of sight. Therefore, “her eyes” in that statement is impossible to make other eyes become blind. The speaker purposely personifies
“the eyes” in the above statement to highlight his lover’s beauty. The sun, whose brightness can
make the people who look at it for a long time become blind, is nothing compared to the lover’s beauty. He assumes that his lover’s beauty, which is radiated from
her eyes, is brighter than the sun. In conclusion, personification is the most influential element in both “A
Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” and “The Sun Rising”. The occurrences of this figurative language strengthen the love that the speakers of both poems
express. It makes each part in those expressions become alive so that those expressions leave deep impression for the readers. The readers are also touched by
those expressions so that they are aware of and able to feel the pure and prodigious love of the speaker toward his lover.
4. Metonymy
