Personifications

Definition Personification is a figure of speech that gives animals and objects human traits and qualities. Click here for example. These attributes may include sensations, emotions, desires, physical gestures,expressions, and powers of speech, among others.

Facts Personifications are widely used in poetry and in other art forms. The meaning of the word personification can be remembered by looking at the word.

Examples The ancient car groaned into third gear. The tropical storm slept for two days. Cars dance across the icy roads. The wind whispers like a tree in a breeze. The moon peeked over the treetops.

Identify and Explain For the next few slides, identify the one or two words that make each phrase a personification. Then explain the meaning of the personification.

Identify and Explain Directions: Choose one to identify and explain. The wind sang her mournful song through the falling leaves. The rain kissed my cheeks as it fell.

Identify and Explain Directions: Choose one to identify and explain. The snow whispered as it fell to the ground during the early morning hours. The china danced on the shelves during the earthquake.

Personify These Statements Directions: Change the words in parentheses to words that would describe a human's actions:

Personify This My bedroom door (opened). My computer (made a noise) at me when I lost my file.

Personify This The CD player (made a noise). The piano keys (moved up and down) as…

Directions Choose a word from List A and a word from List B. Then write the words next to each other to start a personification.

Choose One From Each List List AList B SunTells MoonShows StarsGuides SkyTeaches SeaListens StoneRemembers NightBrings MountainLooks DawnDances MorningDreams

Expand into a Sentence Example: The sun tells me the time. Expand by Answering: WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? HOW?

Writing with Adjectives Directions: Write the name of an object next to one of the adjectives listed below. Then expand your personification. happy, thoughtful, loyal, mean, caring, honest, lazy, dumb

Example: The laughing daisies threw their heads back in delight. The lazy river watched as the kids played in her soothing delight.