Idioms and Figurative Language: Personification: Giving Non-Human Things Human Qualities
Think of language as a costume party. Sometimes, we dress up words to make them more exciting and playful. Personification is like giving a costume to an object or idea, making it act and feel like a person.
What Is Personification?
Personification is giving human qualities, actions, or emotions to non-human things (like animals, objects, or ideas). It helps us connect with the world around us in a more imaginative way.
- Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.”
- Literal meaning: Wind doesn’t have a mouth to whisper.
- Figurative meaning: The wind made a soft, rustling sound.
Why Do We Use Personification?
Personification makes writing and speech more vivid and engaging. It helps us understand and relate to abstract concepts.
- Example: “The sun smiled down on the beach.”
- Literal meaning: The sun doesn’t have a face to smile.
- Figurative meaning: The day was bright and sunny, creating a happy feeling.
Let’s Practice!
Spot the Personification: Identify the personification in each sentence:
- The flowers danced in the breeze.
- The old house groaned in the wind.
- Opportunity knocked at her door.
- The stars winked at me from the night sky.
Create Personification: Choose an object or idea and write a sentence using personification.
- Example: “The alarm clock screamed at me to wake up.”
Challenge!
Find an example of personification in a poem or story. Write down the sentence and explain what human quality is given to the non-human thing.
Remember:
Personification is a powerful tool for making language more colorful and expressive. Look for it in the world around you, and try using it yourself to create unique and memorable descriptions.
