Common Place Blog #3

Looking at the nature of plants, whence they come. For some come down from the mountains and grow up from the valleys and some come from the plains. But look how they develop,for it is at certain seasons and days that you must gather them. And you take them from the islands of the sea. And from the most lofty places. And look at the air which ministers to them and the nourishment circling around them, that they perish not die. Look at the divine water which gives them drink and the air that governs them after they have been given a body in a single being”.
-Cleopatra 

I came across this quote in a hair salon one day. The hair salon has this quote in the entrance with a frame and different colors around the q. The image of the quote on the wall immediately caught my eye. I decided to take a picture and read it. This quote was written by Cleopatra addressing an issue to philosophers of human societies. She expresses how people are like plants. Which are able to move from one place to another and have the ability to adapt, but need resources to survive such as water, and air. With these resource people and plants are able to grow and survive.

In this quote Cleopatra uses different style techniques to get her point and opinion across to her audience. She uses “whence” instead of where is a type of word choice she decided to use which was during that time period. There are many textual arenas in this quote such as repetition of words “ some come, and them” which expresses that the author is making a connection and talking about “them” as people. Plants not as an object like “it”.

Pathos is also involved in the quote, Cleopatra gives emotion in the quote regarding to plants needing to survive and not die with the help of water and air. “look at the air which ministers to them and the nourishment circling around them, that they perish not die”. With this part she explaining the connection between plants and humans that need recourses such as water and air to survive to keep moving forward and not to fail in society. The reader could feel the emotion she is giving and the social arena of the connection that the audience has to plants that they both need outside resources to stay alive.

Metaphors are used throughout the quote, “Grow up from valleys” grow up can have two meaning. Grow up can be interpreted as upbringing, or actually growing older by age. By using these metaphors the reader is able to understand and reflect with the interpretation that Cleopatra is meaning. It makes the quote more interesting to read and understand which is what Cleopatra wanted to grab the attention of her audience.

Cleopatra uses metaphors, pathos, and different stylistics arenas to come across her connection of humans and plants.