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Struggling with distance learning? Our Teacher Editions can help. Pathetic Fallacy Definition What is a pathetic fallacy? Some additional key details about pathetic fallacy: The word "pathetic," in this context, doesn't mean "bad" or "lame.
However, that doesn't mean that pathetic fallacy is always a mistake; it is often used on purpose in order to evoke a certain emotional atmosphere. The term "pathetic fallacy" was coined by a British writer named John Ruskin, who defined it as "emotional falseness. The meaning of the term has shifted over time, and now is often used to simply describe, rather than criticize, the attribution of emotions to non-human things. Pathetic fallacy is a specific type of personification , or the attribution of human qualities to non-human things.
How to Pronounce Pathetic Fallacy Here's how to pronounce pathetic fallacy: puh- thet -ic fal -uh-see Pathetic Fallacy in Depth Any time a writer describes a wave as "angry," the sun as "smiling," or birdsong as "mournful," it's an example of pathetic fallacy, since emotions are being attributed to things that don't actually have them or at least not in the way humans do. Pathetic Fallacy vs. Personification Pathetic fallacy is a specific type of personification —which is the attribution of human qualities or actions to non-human things.
Here's a run-down of what makes pathetic fallacy its own distinct category within the broader category of personification: Pathetic fallacy involves the attribution of emotions to nonhuman things.
Personification can involve the attribution of any human quality, action, or attribute to nonhuman things Examples of personification that are not pathetic fallacy would include saying that "The waves winked in the sunlight" or "The wind played hide-and-go-seek among the trees," since neither of these suggest any particular emotion.
Anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism also involves the attribution of human characteristics to non-human things. Pathetic fallacy , like personification, is a type of figurative language. It's attribution of emotions to non-humans is non-literal. The "the flowers on the grave drooped in sadness" is a figurative description meant to imbue the image with a certain emotion. It is not meant to be saying that the flowers are actually sad. Anthropomorphism , in contrast, is the literal attribution of human characteristics to animals and other non-human things.
The human qualities assigned to these characters are not just figurative ways of describing them, as they are in pathetic fallacy.
Rather, in anthropomorphism the non-human entities actually do human things like talking, falling in love, wiggling their eyebrows, and generally behaving like people behave.
Pathetic Fallacy Examples Although it wasn't until the 19th century that John Ruskin coined the term "pathetic fallacy," writers have been assigning human emotions to things in their surroundings for much longer than that. Why is Pathetic Fallacy used? Communicating Meaning: As with all metaphors, this literary device is especially useful at emphasising meaning.
The figurative nature of the tool makes it particularly effective at communicating experiences or emotions that may otherwise be difficult to explain. Creativity: Whole poems can be created around just one key metaphor and associated use pathetic fallacy, allowing for in depth exploration of a key idea or concept.
This was particularly common as part of the Romantic movement. How useful was this content? Click on a star to rate it! Thanks for your feedback! Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Why? What are 2 examples of an empty sentence?
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