How does the convention of the 'pathetic fallacy' function structurally within an elegiac narrative?

Correct answer: It represents nature as actively weeping and sharing in the poet's grief

Coined by John Ruskin, the 'pathetic fallacy' is an essential convention of the pastoral elegy where the natural world is endowed with human emotions. Flowers wither, rivers run backwards, and the skies darken to actively participate in mourning the deceased hero. This technique dramatizes the profound magnitude of the loss, suggesting that the entire universe is diminished by the individual's passing.