CAMPBELL, George. The Philosophy of Rhetoric. London: V. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776, 2 vols.
Personification
[v. 2, p. 204) A fourth way in which tropes may promote vivacity, is when things sensitive are presented to the fancy instead of things lifeless; or, which is nearly the same, when life, perception, activity, design, passion, or any property of sentient beings, is by means of the trope attributed to things inanimate. It is not more evident that the imagination is more strongly affected by things sensible than by things intelligible, than (v. 2, p. 205) it is evident that things animate awaken greater attention, and make a stronger impression on the mind, than things senseless. It is for this reason that the quality of which I am treating, hath come to be termed vivacity, or liveliness of style.
BLAIR, Hugh. Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres. 1785. Ed. de Linda Ferreira-Buckley and S. Michael Halloram. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2005.
Blair, Hugo. Lecciones sobre la retórica y las bellas letras. Trad. José Luis Munarriz. Madrid: Ibarra, 1817, 3ª ed.
Personification
Blair. (Ed. de Linda Ferreira-Buckley and S. Michael Halloram) 2005
[ p. 173] …that Figure by which we attribute life and action to inanimate objects.
Blair (trad. Munarriz, 1817, p. 82)
…figura por la cual atribuimos vida y acción a los objetos inanimados
[p. 173] It is a Figure, the use of which is very extensive, and its foundation laid deep in human nature. At first view, and when considered abstractly, it would appear to be a Figure of the utmost boldness, and to border on the extravagant and ridiculous. For what can seem more remote from the track of reasonable thought, than to speak of stones and trees, and fields and rivers, as if they were living creatures, and to attribute to them thought and sensation, affections and actions? One might imagine this to be no more than childish conceit, which no person of taste could relish. In fact, however, the case is very different. No such ridiculous effect is produced by Personification, when properly employed; on the contrary, it is found to be natural and agreeable; nor is any very uncommon degree of passion required, in order to make us relish it. All poetry, even in its most gentle and humble forms, abounds with it. From prose, it is far from being excluded; nay, in common conversation, very frequent approaches are made to it.
Blair (trad. Munarriz, 1817, p. 82-83)
Esta es una figura cuyo uso es muy extensor; y tiene profundas raíces en la naturaleza humana. A primera vista, y considerada en abstracto, parecería una figura de extremada grandiosidad; y que toca el (¿) extravagante y ridícula. Porque ¿qué cosa puede parecer mas distante de los trámites de un pensamiento racional, que hablar de piedras y de árboles, de campos y riachuelos, como si fuesen criaturas vivientes, y atribuirles pensamiento, sensación, afectos, y acciones? Pudiera uno imaginar que esto no era mas que un conceptillo pueril, que no podía agradar á quien tuviese buen gusto. Pero con todo sucede lo contrario. La personificación empleada con propiedad no produce tal efecto ridículo: por el contrario se ve que es natural y agradable; y que no se requiere un grado de pasión muy singular para gustar de ella. Toda poesía, aun la mas delicada y humilde, abunda de ella. Ni debe desterrarse de la prosa: y aun en la conversación ordinaria nos acercamos frecuentemente a ella.
[p. 174] There are three different degrees of this Figure; which it is necessary to remark and distinguish, in order to determine the propriety of its use. The first is, when some of the properties or qualities of living creatures are ascribed to inanimate objects; the second, when those inanimate objects are introduced as acting like such as have life; and the third, when they are represented either as speaking to us, or as listening to what we say to them.
Blair (trad. Munarriz, 1817, p. 85)
Tres son los diferentes grados de esta figura; lo cual es preciso advertir y distinguir, para determinar la propiedad de su uso. El primero es cuando se atribuyen á objetos inanimados algunas de las propiedades y calidades [sic] de las criaturas vivientes: el segundo cuando se introducen objetos inanimados obrando como si tuvieran vida; y el tercero cuando se presentan hablándonos, o escuchando lo que les decimos.
[p. 176] …in poetry, Personifications of this kind [segundo “grado”] are extremely frequent, and are, indeed, the life and soul of it. We expect to find every thing animated in the descriptions of a poet who has a lively fancy.
Blair (trad. Munarriz, 1817, p. 87)
En la poesía son muy frecuentes las personificaciones de esta clase; y son la vida y el alama de ella. Todo queremos hallarlo animado en las descripciones de un poeta, que tiene viva fantasía.
[p. 177] …this [tercer “grado”] is plainly the boldest of all rhetorical Figures; it is the style of strong passion only; and, therefore, never to be attempted, unless when the mind is considerably heated and agitated. (…) All strong passions (…) have a tendency to use this Figure, not only love, anger, and indignation, but even those which are seemingly more dispiriting, such as, grief, remorse, and melancholy. For all passions struggle for vent, and if they can find no other object, will, rather than be silent, pour themselves forth to woods, and rocks, and the most insensible things; especially if these be in any degree connected with the causes and objects that have thrown the mind into this agitation.
Blair (trad. Munarriz, 1817, p. 91-92)
…es claramente la mas grandiosa de todas las figuras retóricas. Es el estilo de una pasión fuerte solamente; y por tanto jamas se debe intentar, sino cuando el ánimo está en gran manera agitado y acalorado. (…) todas las pasiones fuertes se encaminan a usar de esta figura: y no solo usan de ella el amor, la cólera y la indignación; sino aun las que parecen mas desanimadas, como el dolor, el remordimiento y la melancolía: porque todas las pasiones se esfuerzan por hallar desahogo; y si no hallan otro objeto, preferirán dirigirse á los bosques, á las rocas, y á las cosas mas insensibles, antes que determinarse á permanecer en silencio; especialmente si estas cosas están de algún modo conexas con con las causas y los objetos que han puesto el ánimo en agitación.
[p. 178] There are two great rules for the management of this sort of Personification. The first rule is, never to attempt it, unless when prompted by strong passion, and never to continue it when the passion begins to flag.
Blair (trad. Munarriz, 1817, p. 94)
Dos son las reglas principales, que se deben observar en el manejo de esta especie de personificación [“tercer” grado]. La primera es no emprenderla jamas sino cuando somos impelidos de una pasión fuerte; y no continuarla cuando esta comienza a decaer.
[p. 178] The second rule is, never to personify any object in this way, but such as has some dignity in itself, and can make a proper Figure in this elevation to which we raise it.
Blair (trad. Munarriz, 1817, p. 94)
La segunda regla es no personificar por este estilo objeto alguno, que no tenga en sí mismo alguna dignidad; y que no pueda hacer buena figura en la altura en que queremos colocarlo.
[p. 179] In prose compositions, this Figure requires to be used with still greater moderation and delicacy. The same liberty is not allowed to the imagination there, as in poetry. The same assistances cannot be obtained for raising passion to its proper height by the force of numbers, and the glow of style. However, addresses to inanimate objects are not excluded from prose; but have their place only in the higher species of oratory.
Blair (trad. Munarriz, 1817, p. 96-97)
En las composiciones en prosa se debe usar de esta figura con mayor moderacion y delicadeza: en ellas no tiene la misma libertad la imaginación que en la poesía, para levantar la pasión á la altura competente no basta la fuerza de los números, ni el brillo del estilo. Sin embargo no deben excluirse de la prosa los apóstrofes á objetos inanimados: pero tampoco deben introducirse sino en la oratoria mas sublime.