DE'WAYNE SIMPSON... FULL-TIME ACCESS


FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Personification

 

Figurative language is way of saying things in a more creative way than you normally would.  Figurative language is not meant to be taken literally, meaning it is not meant to be taken word-for-word.  It is meant to get your attention and be memorable, but you must figure out what the speaker/writer is trying to say or imply.  You must figure out what that person means, the point that the person is trying to make.  There are several different popular forms of figurative language.  Some of these are…

  

  • Similes
  • Metaphors
  • Hyperbole
  • Personification
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Idioms
  • Imagery 

 

If you look inside of the word "personification," you see the word "person."  That should lead you to infer that personification has something to do with being a person or being human... which it does.  Personification is when a writer gives human characteristics to things that aren't human. 

Read the following poem and think about this concept of personification:

 

THE DAY THE SUN MET THE MOON

The sun and the moon had a very big fight

They argued and argued, all day and all night

The moon walked out and would not come back

Until the sky was completely black

The sun was so happy when the moon walked away

He sat back, relaxed and smiled all day

At night, he left, but he didn’t go far

And the moon came out and played with his stars

 

In this poem, the poet is attempting to explain why the sun and the moon never come out at the same time.  He personifies both of them to make his point. 

  • He allows them to argue.  Argueing is something that humans do.  The sun and the moon can't talk, much less argue.  By allowing them to do that in this poem, he uses personification.
  • Also, when the moon walks out on the sun, the poet is using personification.  The moon has no feet, no legs, and can't walk.  So when he does it in the poem, it is an example of personification.
  • The sun eventually sits back, relaxes and smiles, then later gets up and leaves... none of which are things the sun can do.  They are all things that humans do, and therefore, they are examples of personification.
  • Finally, when the moon comes out and plays with the stars, the poet is using personification.  He is trying to say that you can look up in the sky and see the moon surrounded by stars at night, but he decides to use figurative language to do so in order to make the image clearer and more memorable.

Explain why each of the following is an example of personification...

 

  1. The television was watching me last night.
  2. My clothes got up and walked to the washing machine on their own.
  3. Time just keeps running away from me.
  4. I don't feel so good.  My stomach is starting to talk to me.
  5. Life has been beating me down lately.
  6. I'm putting my car in the shop.  I heard the engine crying yesterday.
  7. I've had a cold all week.  It grabbed me tight, and now it won't let go.
  8. I call that number so much, it just dials itself now.
  9. The ball just jumped out of my hand and dove into the basket.
  10. That test kicked my butt.

...Now that you have learned what personification is and have reviewed several examples of it, let's see if you can come up with some examples of your own.  Try to write five examples of personification on your own. 

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