Personification

Definition: Complete a literature web for the term personification (handout 14-B).

Read: "Mirror" by Silvia Plath and "To Autumn" by John Keats.  Identify example of personification used in these poems.  (Resource)  Write two examples of personification on a topic you love.  Illustrate and share.

Practice: Identify whether each of the following is an example of personification.

• Her silky hair moved with the breeze
• My shower is jealous because it thinks I like my bed better in the morning
• The knot on Jan’s leg looked like a golf ball
• My computer growled at me when I hit the wrong button
• The chair stood straight like a soldier on guard by the door
• Carrying my book bag was like dragging around a 10 pound sack of flour
• Michael was the alpha dog of his group
• Hot flames from the fire licked my hands as I put on another log
• Under Sarah’s bed, there were more dust bunnies than boxes and dirty clothes
• The fiery red vase screamed to be recognized in the all white room

Read more.

An Exercise in Using Personification:

Fill in the blanks with a verb that gives human qualities to the non-living object in the sentence.

1. The flowers _______________ at me as I walked through the park.

2. The fall leaves ________________ to the ground.

3. The rain __________________ his cheeks as he ran home.

4. The train _________________ the family through the woods and over the mountain.

5. The soccer net _________________ the ball in mid air.

6. The rainbow __________________ the sky with brilliant colors.

7. The thorn bush ________________ at our ankles as we walked on the trail.

8. I watched the flower bulbs _________________ out of the soil after the light spring rain.

9. Spider webs ________________ in the moonlight from the trees in my front yard.

10. The basketball ________________ from my hand as I released my final shot of the game.

Reference

Resources and Examples:

The Joy of Poetry

Anthropomorphism in Literature

Read Write Think: Personification Lesson

I am Winter...

Final Project:  Think about your favorite season.  Complete an idea web listing things that describe your season.  Write several sentences describing your season that use personifcation.  Illustrate your writing and share with everyone.