An Introduction to Poetry Poetic Techniques: Personification

What is Personification? Where a non-living object, an animal or an abstract idea is given human qualities. The sentence involves a human action. The poet writes about the object as if it is a person.

For Example: The swimming pool invited me in for a refreshing swim. The poison ivy vines raced up the side of the tree. The tall grass danced in the wind. A Poem About Smiling:

Why Personify? – Something To Think About Personification is fun!... Personification can make things easier to imagine when you read them. For example, you can’t see the wind, but if someone wrote “the wind raged with fierce anger” we might get a better impression of how strong the wind blew that day. Alice Plays Croquet

Why Personify? – Something To Think About The Reckless Sleeper – A Painting by René Magritte Artists and poets have always thought there is something important about the connection between people and objects

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed--and gazed--but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought:

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

A Centipede Was Happy Quite Until a frog in fun Said, "Pray, which leg comes after which?“ This raised her mind to such a pitch, She lay distracted in the ditch Considering how to run. Anonymous