In The poem "The Nymph"s Reply to the Shepard" the poet writes When the river rage and rocks grow cold, but he could have written when rivers rush and rocks grow coldwithout affecting themeter,rhyme, or alliteration in the line Also both rage and rush communicate that the river was flowing very quickly. Why would the poet have used rage instead of rush here?

Answer 1

Rage is an emotion, to me. The river is "raging" over rocks that have grown cold. I am reminded of a inspirational speaker full of sound and fury at a funeral, but the audience is somewhere else, not in tune.

Answer 2

OR it could be an example of "personification" because inanimate objects do not "rage."

Sra

Answer 3

Think of the connection between rage and cold.... there is a clear one.