Personification

Understanding Personification:

What is Personification?

• Personification is a literary device that attributes human qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human things, animals, or ideas.
• It brings life to inanimate objects, making them act as if they were human.

Examples of Personification:

1. The wind whispered secrets through the trees.
2. The sun smiled down on the beach.
3. The flowers danced in the gentle breeze.

How to Identify Personification:

1. Look for Human Characteristics:
   • Personification gives human traits to non-human things. Watch out for objects or animals doing things only humans can do.
   • Example: "The stars winked at us from the night sky."
2. Identify Actions or Emotions:
   • Personification often involves giving emotions or actions to non-living things. If something is described as doing human-like activities, it might be personification.
   • Example: "The old house groaned in protest as the wind howled outside."
3. Pay Attention to Descriptions:
   • Personification adds vividness to descriptions. If you notice inanimate objects behaving in a lively or expressive manner, it could be personification.
   • Example: "The river murmured a soothing lullaby as it flowed."

How to Use Personification:

1. Imagine Life in the Inanimate:
   • Picture what an object or animal might do if it had human qualities. Use your imagination to bring them to life in your writing.
2. Create Atmosphere:
   • Use personification to set the mood or atmosphere in your writing. It adds depth and emotion to your descriptions.
3. Add Playfulness to Writing:
   • Personification can be fun and playful. Experiment with giving life to everyday things in unexpected ways.

Examples of Student Sentences with Personification:

1. "The autumn leaves whispered secrets to each other as they fell."
2. "The alarm clock screamed at me to wake up in the morning."
3. "The mountain stood tall, its shoulders covered in a blanket of snow."