Jennifer Grotz: The Pathetic Fallacy (January 2008)

Jennifer Grotz examines the concept of the pathetic fallacy, a term coined by John Ruskin which Grotz defines as “an instance or an attitude where human pathos is attributed to an element of nature.” Grotz argues that, despite its potential pitfalls, the pathetic fallacy remains a crucial rhetorical figure in contemporary poetry; she draws on examples from Shakespeare, Spenser, Henri Cole, Tony Hoagland, Stanley Kunitz and Louise Glück to consider how it can be successfully and innovatively employed.