While personifying objects (that is, giving them human attributes) is a common literary practice, Pascale Petit’s poem does the opposite, in a sense. Why might Petit pay tribute to her mother not only be comparing her to an Amazonian warrior, but also the Amazon rainforest and river? We generally believe that comparing a human being to a non-human thing is a downgrade, but can it be uplifting as well?

While personifying objects (that is, giving them human attributes) is a common literary practice, Pascale Petit’s poem does the opposite, in a sense. Why might Petit pay tribute to her mother not only be comparing her to an Amazonian warrior, but also the Amazon rainforest and river? We generally believe that comparing a human being to a non-human thing is a downgrade, but can it be uplifting as well?