Final answer:
The personification of the natural world in literature often reflects the internal states of human characters and underscores a profound connection between humans and nature. Elements are given human-like characteristics, and this device can illustrate the natural world's antagonistic or comforting presence, as well as its healing capacity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The personification of the natural world is a frequent and significant element in literature, often used to reflect the inner states of human characters or to emphasize a deep connection between humans and nature. This literary device is exemplified in the way the natural landscape is anthropomorphized to exhibit qualities such as hostility, friendliness, or a sense of kinship. Examples of this can be found in how the weather is depicted as aggressive and antagonistic, capable of 'seizing' the breath of characters, while flowers are characterized as companions that reel and dance, reflecting the emotions or physical states of the humans within the narrative.
Similarly, the personified natural elements in stories serve to mirror or contrast the human experiences, as observed in descriptions of landscapes radiating with a 'mysterious sweetness' or displaying a 'shifting dapple of silver and shadow'. These anthropomorphic depictions extend to the incorporation of animals, like the 'multitudes of strange, gray frogs' or the nonchalant green snake with 'scintillating eyes', suggesting a peaceful coexistence with humans, devoid of fear. Such narratives emphasize the healing capacity of the natural world, its potential to fortify human spirit, and underscore a fundamental value of nature in the reflection and shaping of human life.