Personification | Literary Term | English Literature | Major English | Plus Two Level
A
figure of speech where animals, ideas or inorganic objects are given human
characteristics is
known as personification. Personification is an idea or thing is given human
attributes or feelings or is spoken of as if it were human. Personification is
a common form of metaphor in that human characteristics are
attributed to nonhuman things. This allows writers to create life and motion
within inanimate objects, animals, and even abstract ideas by assigning
them recognizable human behaviors and emotions. By giving human characteristics
to things that do not have them, it makes these objects and their actions
easier to visualize for a reader. Personification is most often used in poetry.
Personification is found often in children’s
literature. This is an effective use of figurative language because
personification relies on imagination for understanding. Of course, readers
know at a logical level that nonhuman things cannot feel, behave, or think like
humans. However, personifying nonhuman things can be an interesting, creative,
and effective way for a writer to illustrate a concept or make a point.
Example:
The sun smiled on our picnic.
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