Analyse with reference to the poem some of the personifications the poet employs in 'Lycidas'. Do they add to the sense of lament or serve another purpose altogether? ( MEG 101 ) ( CHRIST'S NATIVITY AND LYCIDAS )

In 'Lycidas', John Milton employs several personifications that add to the sense of lament in the poem. Personification is a literary device that involves giving human qualities to non-human objects, and Milton uses this device to create a sense of mourning and lamentation.

One of the most prominent personifications in the poem is that of Nature, which is personified as a grieving mother mourning the loss of her son. In the opening lines of the poem, Milton writes, "Yet once more, O ye laurels, and once more / Ye myrtles brown, with ivy never sere, / I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude, / And with forced fingers rude / Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year." Here, Nature is depicted as mourning the loss of her son, Lycidas, and the image of the poet plucking leaves and berries from the trees suggests a violent disruption of the natural order.

Another personification in the poem is that of Fame, which is personified as a "sable-stoled" messenger who comes to mourn the loss of Lycidas. In the poem, Fame is depicted as a sorrowful figure, who weeps for the loss of the young poet. This personification adds to the sense of lament in the poem, as it suggests that Lycidas was a figure of great importance and renown, whose loss has caused a great deal of grief and mourning.

Finally, Milton also employs the personification of Sleep, which is depicted as a "deathlike slumber" that overcomes the mourners in the poem. In the closing lines of the poem, Milton writes, "But ah! the heavy change, now thou art gone, / Now thou art gone and never must return! / Thee, shepherd, thee the woods and desert caves, / With wild thyme and the gadding vine o'ergrown, / And all their echoes mourn." Here, Sleep is depicted as a kind of death that overcomes the mourners, as they come to terms with the loss of Lycidas.

In conclusion, the personifications in 'Lycidas' serve to add to the sense of lament in the poem, as they suggest a world in mourning for the loss of a young poet. Nature, Fame, and Sleep are all depicted as grieving figures, who mourn the loss of Lycidas and add to the overall sense of sadness and grief in the poem.