1. An Introduction to Poetry Poetic Techniques: Personification

2. 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.

3. 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:

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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:

9. 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.

10. 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