(BBHT) Lesson Topic 1: Personification

Lesson Topic 1: Personification

Personification is giving human qualities to animals or objects.

Personification is giving human qualities to animals or objects. Example: The window winked at me. The word "wink" is a human action. A window is a nonhuman object. Therefore, we have a good example of personification. Example: The wind sang her mournful song through the falling leaves. "Wind sang her mournful song" is personification. What does it mean? Literally, it means that the wind was rustling the leaves. The writer is painting a rather sad scene when using the word "mournful." In addition, the wind cannot technically sing, so this is another example of personification.

 

The following poem is an example of personification:

"The Mirror" by Sylvia Plath

I am silver and exact.

I have no preconception.

Whatever I see I swallow immediately

Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.

I am not cruel, only truthful.

In this poem by Plath,  the mirror is given the ability to speak, swallow, and see. The mirror is the "I" in the poem and has human attributes such as truthfulness.

Practice Personification

Look at the flashcards below to practice personification.

 

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