Ocean Personification

Another way nature demonstrates the idea of human insignificance is by personifying the waves of the ocean in the poem. By personifying the waves that wash ashore, it undermines human achievement. As the darkness settles into the night, it provides the connotation of overwhelming darkness on the roofs and walls then the direction turns towards the sea where it is personified because the sea is calling. Longfellow writes, “The little waves, with their soft white hands, Efface the footprints in the sands, And the tide rises, the tide falls” (8-10). The little waves are personified because they are described with “their soft white hands” which are the waters that come onto the shore and washing away the footprints in the sand. This is significant because the footprint symbolizes the impression or memories people leave behind when they die. When an individual dies, there will be many who will remember him
In any achievement in life or recognition by people, it will be also washed away as well because life continues on without their memories. For example, a soldier dies or a disaster that took hold in a country. There will be many sadness and grief from the people, but in the end however, any achievement, influence or honor by those who have died will be forgotten over time because eventually everyone continues to live without them. Nature in the end continues to move forward in the cycle without them and washes away the footprint so that eventually any trace or remembrance of those who died will be forgotten signifying their insignificance in the world. In addition of using personification, Longfellow also uses imagery to characterize the value of nature as humankind being insignificant to the