How does the poet use personification on the first four line of the poem, The Milkfish Gatherers?

In this opening stanza, Fenton personifies the sea, allowing it to take on human characteristics. The sea "sounds insincere," sets an ominous tone for the poem. The word "insincere," coupled with its "giving" and "taking," prompts caution and distrust. It is a source of destruction, stopping the flow of the river.