Students, please take a few minutes to analyze and comment on the following excerpt from “Aeneas at Carthage.” Note the author’s use of personification and descriptive language. Post your comments below.
Aboard the Trojan ships, there was no time for panic. Sails were ripped from their masts; the decks were a riot of rigging, timber, torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood. There was a tearing and slapping of wet fabric, and the scream and crack of wood bent beyond the limit of its length. The low, desperate babble of human confusion was broken now and then by the shriek of some poor creature crushed by a mast, or the shrill neighing of a horse swept overboard into the boiling sea.
Human wits and muscle could do nothing. Aeneas, his legs gripping a rocking ladder, raised his hands to the sky. “Why didn’t we die in Troy?” he cried, but the words of his prayer were lost in the gale; the whole ship seemed to be wailing the same lament.
The author's use of personification and description of language was used throughout the paragraphs, but the part that stood out to me the most the sentence that read, THere was a tearing and slapping of fabric, and the scream and crack of wood bent beyond the limit of its length. It is personification because it is saying that the wet fabric was slapping, and the wood was screaming. I really enjoyed the descriptive language in the sentence that read, Sails ripped from their masts; the decks were a riot of rigging timber, torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood. The las paragraph was filled with both descriptive language and personification, like in the first sentence that read, Human wits and muscle could do nothing.
ReplyDeleteIn this excerpt, imagery and personification really emphasize the mortal gravity of the scene. Like it so plainly states, there was nothing Aeneas or his men could do, giving you the sense that their fate really was in the hands' of the gods. Also, Aeneas yells into the sky why they couldn't have perished in Troy in the "glory" of battle instead of being flung about in the open see like ragged dolls in the hands of a careless child. Given the choice, I probably would've opted to die amongst fellow soldiers in battle. But anyway, getting back to imagery; I definitely think, that the authors intent by making these paragraphs so descriptive was to attempt to drag you into the story even though it is only just the beginning, and continue their usage of these colorful adjectives to maintain your interest upon their book. After all, that is one of descriptive languages main purposes.
ReplyDeleteI like the way how the author describes the deck, "riot of rigging, timber, torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood." I like the way he personifies some of the objects like belching wineskins, wailing ship and screaming wood. When Aeneas screams into the air “Why didn’t we die in Troy?” it seems as though their fate was already decided and the gods were just making it harder for them to survive. "Human wits and muscle could do nothing" means it is something beyond our capability.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my peers, and I enjoy the personification/descriptive language. It makes me want to read more. I like the line "torn wineskins belching their contents." I also like "the scream and crack of wood bent beyond the limit of its length." This paragraph(s) puts me in the place of a Trojan, running around in panic on the ship. It seems like the gods are very angry with them, and are going to kill them, since they didn't die at Troy. Aeneas states this by saying, "Why didn't we die in Troy?" It seems he is saying some sort of a prayer or just questioning the gods.
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, the author uses very good imagery. I enjoy reading a book with descriptive language. My favorite source of personification is "the scream and crack of wood bent beyond the limit of its length." It makes it seem like the wood is alive. I also like when the author states "the whole ship seemed to be wailing the same lament." That is the perfect example of imagery and personification in just one sentence. This book is definitely one that will leave you wanting to read more.
ReplyDeleteThis passage is full of descriptive language, personification, and imagery. I like this part of the passage the best,"The low, desperate babble of human confusion was broken now and then by the shriek of some poor creature crushed by a mast, or the shrill neighing of a horse swept overboard into the boiling sea." The author is refering to the men as poor creatures. Also, when it says "boiling sea", I think it means that it is bubbling, not necessarily hot like boiling water.I agree with Abby, this book doesn't stop getting better and it makes you want to read more.
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt from the book contains lots of imagery and personification. It also has lots of description such as the passage,"Sails were ripped from their masts; the decks were a riot of rigging, timber, torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood." It explains hows the sea waves were very strong and the sails were being ripped.
ReplyDelete- Rachel
The part of personification I liked the most was when the paragraph described "the scream and crack of wood bent beyond the limit of its length." I found it fascinating that only one sentence really brought the image of the boat sailing into my mind. It was very saddening to imagine all the hardships that Aeneas and the rest of his company went through. I also thought the part that said "the decks were a riot of rigging, timber, torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood," was very descriptive and full of great vocabulary. Although that was pretty disgusting, the sentence brought a vivid image of the sails into my mind. Both paragraphs made images of the scene in my head, and also made me think how lucky I was to not be in the same situation they were in.
ReplyDeleteI love how the author used amazing descriptive language to make the decks sound alive. It was wonderful personification! Also, I really enjoy the phrase "the wine skins belching out their contents." It made me giggle when I read it! As Aubrey said, another great phrase was "the scream and crack of the wood bent beyond the limit of its length. Overall, it's a wonderful passage chalk-full of personification and descriptive language which made the whole scene come alive!
ReplyDeleteThe author uses a lot of personification and imigery like, "the wineskins belched their contents and the scream of an crack of wood." This really brings thenstory to life, in a way that I almost feel that I was there. It makes the book more colorful and interesting. My favorite line was the last one, "the whole ship seemed to be wailing the same lament." It makes the ship seem like a person or one of the crew members. I love the way the author describes this scene of destruction, with so many vivid words and the way he makes it seem so real. "Into the boiling sea" does not mean like on a fire, but the sea was boiling with action. The way the author describes scenes like this makes it much more enjoyable to read. For example, if the author just wrote, "A terrible storm came. It broke the masts and cause much destruction," I wouldn't really enjoy reading it.
ReplyDeleteThe author's use of personification and imagery really creates a picture in your head. The part of the paragraph "there was no time for panic. Sails were ripped from their masts; the decks were a riot of rigging, timber, torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood," really stood out and made the scene in my head even more horrible. I thought it was interesting how the author said that the sea was "boiling" and it added depth to the surroundings. It's kind of funny because in Greek/Roman mythology, basically everything has a god or deity and sometimes it is hard to interpret if the author really meant it or if they were just saying that to set the mood of the scene. Although it is a very well written paragraph, I agree with Veronica and didn't enjoy reading it very much.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone, and I think the personification and imagery really help bring out the wonderful story this book is about. I really enjoyed the first paragraph, because it pulled me into the story, and I felt like I was in Aeneas's shoes. The second paragraph is also nice because in the first paragraph you get a clear picture of what is going on and how bad the situation is, and then in the second you really understand how Aeneas is feeling. My favorite sentences in the first paragraph were the last two, and in the second my favorite was the last one. As others said, this book keeps on getting better and better as we read through it, especially with all the personification and imagery that bring it to life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the peoples comments. The author does a great job of bringing to life the craziness and harshness of a storm. I particularly like when he says "torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood." I can picture the wine skins exploding in big burps, spilling wine acroos the deck and dumping into the sea. When the author describes the terror of the people and then the animals in the following quote: "The low, desperate babble of human confusion was broken now and then by the shriek of some poor creature crushed by a mast, or the shrill neighing of a horse swept overboard into the boiling sea." I can picture the enormous strength of a storm that would carry a horse overboard.
ReplyDeleteAs the other students have said, the imgery and personification in this passage is outstanding. The author focuses on the sounds on the boat and makes it interesting. I could almost hear the "slapping of wet fabric", the "scream and crack of wood bent", and "the shrill neighing of a horse". The poor Trojans were defeated in war, and now they are being tortured in a boat. They seem like they are on the verge of giving up. The good descriptions of this scene make me want to read on and find out what happens to Aeneas and his crew.
ReplyDeleteI like how the author uses slow-mow in the scene. Also, agreeing with some of the people above, I like how there is a lot of chaos and Drama. This Scene defiantly painted a picture in my mind, and I find it a very beautiful scene.
ReplyDeleteB.J. Y.
ReplyDeleteI loved how the author just painted a picture in my mind. The descriptions were creepy yet vivid. How the animals and Trojans were in agony and were struggling was terrible. The author made it sound powerful every detail. It couldn't have been phrased in any better way, and if rephrased it might've sounded worse. The whole paragraph was loaded with descriptive language, and it was great.
The personification in this passage helped me imagine the scene going on. The image that I got from this passage painted a bright passage in my mind. It tells me everything that is going on, just in a more descriptive way. I can hear all the sounds of the storm and feel the panic going on. When Aeneas cried out "Why didn't we die in Troy?" my mind thought of how bad the experience acually was. I like how the author says that the wood is screaming. From this, I can hear a high pitched sound that also resembles a cry of fear.
ReplyDeleteThis section is rich with imagery and personification. Sails were ripped from their masts; the decks were a riot of rigging, timber, torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood. This is my favorite part like some other people and it is very descriptive. Aeneas has a right to wish he died in Troy if something so terrible happened. The personification and imagery sends a message to readers that this is not a happy time, but a time of pain and terror. It brings the exerpt to life.
ReplyDeleteI think that the personification, like Jonathan said, is telling that it is in the power of the gods, not natural. Also I think when he say "Why didn't he die in Troy" he was saying, if it was his fate to survive Troy why would the gods have him die without doing anything else to effect the world. What was the point in surviving? He did not think he was going to survive it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the personification made the few paragraphs that were there seem life-like and real. I especially like the line,"the wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood." The way that the author uses personification and imagery was so creative that the word "belching" sounded interesting to me. From these few paragraphs I tell the whole setting of the book and more. When Aeneas said," Why didn't we die in Troy. I think he meant that the storm was so torturus that he would rather die in war than here.
ReplyDeleteAs all of my peers have previously commented, I too agree that this passage contains exceptionally descriptive imagery. The way the author wrote it, makes me feel like I am actually with Aeneas, watching the scene. Some specific phrases I particularly enjoyed were, "the babble of human confusion," and "torn wineskins belching their contents." How the author worded this action packed section of the book could not have been more clear. This is what most authors live for, and I think the writer just accomplished that here.
ReplyDeleteAs most of my peers have already stated, the imagery in this passage is incredible. I also believe it was used at the right place. There are many places in the Aeneas where it would be overdoing it to use this much imagery and descriptive language, but here it redefined and enhanced the scene. Similes,metephors, and personification help me to picture the scene, because I have never been in a storm at sea; if the book had just said "the ship was destroyed in a storm", I would have no idea what it was like to be on the ship. I can, for example, picture wood breaking or wineskins bursting from the author's description. I imagine that Virgil himself would like this retelling of his story.
ReplyDeleteSails were ripped from their masts; the decks were a riot of rigging, timber, torn wineskins belching their contents, all mingled with sea-water and blood. There was a tearing and slapping of wet fabric, and the scream and crack of wood bent beyond the limit of its length. The low, desperate babble of human confusion was broken now and then by the shriek of some poor creature crushed by a mast, or the shrill neighing of a horse swept overboard into the boiling sea.
ReplyDeleteHummmm
Well that means alot. The personification and amount of imagery brings out confusion, anger, despair, action, and many other things. You could imagine this happening in a single moment. SO fast so slow. It makes me imagine what trouble they had for Rome. Raging was a very good trait for this.
RAVIN R.
ReplyDeleteI think that the author is speaking in way of a child but more mature. I say that because when she says " The scream and cracked wood." it sounds like a child is saying it in a maturer way. There is also a lot of personification and imagery (like I explained in the first half).I think that the other is trying to make the book come alive with the imagery and personification.
Most, if not all, of my peers said that the personification was what pulled them into the story. The imagery of this passage, of the Trojan fleet caught in a storm of Juno's doing, is second to none. The wooden masts screech under the weight of the storm, wineskins spill their contents, and men and animals drown as they are dragged into the bubbling, seething seas. Aeneas cries out a plea to the gods, yelling, "Why didn't we die in Troy?" meaning that it was senseless to save the Trojans from their burning city only to kill them at sea. This scene could be rewritten a bit and transformed into a horror movie. I think Virgil, the original Roman author of the Aeneid, or Aeneas, as this book is called, hit the nail on the head with this scene. He captures the essence of the storm and the Trojan fleet like never before, and it leaves me aching to read more. This paints a vivid picture and demonstrates the immense power of descriptive language in literature.
ReplyDeleteSuch havoc! It seems as if epic poems have some sort of shipwreck in them. In the Odyssey, Odysseus's ship is crunched and crumbled and sucked up by Charybdis. Personification that I especially like is "torn wineskins belching their contents." It shows how violently the wineskins were torn and the wine gushed out, as if someone's jugular was severed (eew). I also like "the scream and crack of wood." It shows how violent this shipwreck was. I could just imagine a person scrambling around on deck and all of a sudden a mast falls and sends him to his watery grave. The part where it says, "all mingled with sea-water and blood" tells me that many men have met gory deaths aboard the ship and their remains are floating freely, maybe reaching a nearby shore, causing their finder to pass out. Sorry if this comment is too gross for those with weak stomachs.
ReplyDeleteI like how it shows descriptive language here:Sails were ripped from their masts; the decks were a riot of rigging, timber, torn wineskins belching their contents(also personification), all mingled with sea-water and blood. That last part describes how all the men It says how the fabric slapped ad the wood screamed. Aeneas is praying to the gods asking why they didn't die in Troy. In the last part, the whole ship seemed to be wailing the same lament, that is personification of the ship.
ReplyDeleteAeneas is a very detailed story that includes a bucket full of imagery. Aeneas also includes personification, such as listed in the passage above. The author talks about the scream and crack of the wood and quotes "the shrill neighing of a horse." Personification can tell you a lot about a scene, character, or plot, and this bit of personification tells me that something horrifying is happening, something terrible. This passage also tells me that the Trojans are unsure and surprised with what happened to them in the past. Each chapter brings a new cliff hanger and a new adventure, so I cannot wait to finnish the book.
ReplyDeleteNICOLE M.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I really love how the author makes the ship sound so alive like when the passage says, "torn wineskins belching their contents" and, "the scream and crack of wood". I also like the sentence,"The low, desperate babble of human confusion was broken now and then by the shriek of some poor creature crushed by a mast, or the shrill neighing of a horse swept overboard into the boiling sea." because it is really descriptive and sort of creates an image in my head of all the mayhem on the ship. But my favorite part of the passage is when Aeneas is praying to the gods, and "the ship seemed to be wailing the same lament".
Students,
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