1. What do you think Personification means?

2. Personification

3. Personification
Personification means giving human traits (qualities, feelings, actions or characteristics) directly to a non-living object.
Examples
the trees were dancing with the wind
the pot of soup bubbled merrily on the stove
the sun peeked over the hill.
Why are these sentences examples of personification?

4. Questions to ask yourself… ?
Can a little house on a hill smile happily while watching the sun and moon and stars all through the changing seasons?
Can a little train engine talk herself into pulling a bunch of heavy cars up a steep hill by repeating, think I can, I think I can, I think I can?
Can letters of the alphabet race to the top of the coconut tree?
Can you think of other examples?

5. Why use personification in your writing?
Many times an author will use this literary technique to add more fun, drama, sparkle, excitement, or interest to a story or to convey a certain mood.
It makes more sense to us (as readers) to understand what they author is talking about when WE can RELATE to the emotions or characteristics that the “non-living” object has.
Ex: The light breeze gracefully danced across the porch and sang verses of warm summer melodies.
What kind of feeling does that verse above give you?

6. “Summer Grass” – Carl Sandburg
Summer grass aches and whispers It wants something: it calls and sings; it pours out wishes to the overhead stars. The rain hears; the rain answers; the rain is slow coming; the rain wets the face of the grass.

7. What do you think the poem is actually saying?
Where is the personification?
Why add personification to a poem?
How do we know there is personification? (keywords?)
Summer grass aches and whispers It wants something: it calls and sings; it pours out wishes to the overhead stars. The rain hears; the rain answers; the rain is slow coming; the rain wets the face of the grass.

8. “Summer Grass” – Carl Sandburg
The Actual Poem
Take out the personification
Summer grass aches and whispers It wants something: it calls and sings; it pours out wishes to the overhead stars. The rain hears; the rain answers; the rain is slow coming; the rain wets the face of the grass.
The grass is very dry. It hasn't rained in days. It rains and gets the grass wet.

9. Now you will…
Write a Poem about… Computers! What a computer may day dream about.
Must have at least 4 examples of personification
Must be at least 10 lines long
Must flow (it is not allowed to be 10 separate sentences)