Personification

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech that gives animals, ideas, or inanimate objects human traits or abilities. These traits could be sensations, emotions, desires, physical gestures, expressions, and the power of speech. So, if I were to say “my car was happy to be washed”, I am attributing a human emotion onto a car, which is an example of personification.

The main purpose of personification is is to explain whats happening, how it is happening, and to give detailed imagery. I could simply write “the door creaked when I opened it”, or I could used personification and add some good imagery by saying “the door moaned in loud protest of being opened”. As you can see, the description that attributes personification onto the door contains more imagery.

Personification is all around us, in the news you will often hear governments and cooperations referred to with personification. Oftentimes these headlines will read like “China's economy is hungry for natural resources.” In my example China's economy it being depicted as being hungry.

Now it is time for an exercise in personification. Please click the “Stand Alone” icon located below. Listen to The Blue Oyster Cult's “Don't Fear The Reaper” while following along with the lyrics that I have provided. Watch for instances of personification.



Blue Oyster Cult Don´t Fear (the Reaper) Lyrics

All our times have come
Here but now they're gone
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind the sun or the rain (we can be like they are)
Come on baby (don't fear the reaper)
Baby take my hand (don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly (don't fear the reaper)
Baby I'm your man
La-la-la-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la-la-la-la

Valentine is done
Here but now they're gone
Romeo and Juliet Are together in eternity (Romeo and Juliet)
40,000 men and women everyday (like Romeo and Juliet)
40,000 men and women everyday (redefine happiness)
Another 40,000 coming everyday (we can be like they are)
Come on baby (don't fear the reaper)
Baby take my hand (don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly (don't fear the reaper)
Baby I'm your man
La-la-la-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la-la-la-la

Love of two is one
Here but now they're gone
Came the last night of sadness
And it was clear that she couldn't go on
Then the door was open and the wind appeared
The candles blew and then disappeared
The curtains flew and then he appeared (saying don't be afraid)
Come on baby (and she had no fear)
And she ran to him (then they started to fly)
They looked backwards and said goodbye (she had become like they are)
She had taken his hand (she had become like they are)
Come on baby (don't fear the reaper)

The two central images of personification in this song are the seasons (seasons can't fear) and death, which is portrayed as the Reaper. If you think about it, death has always been subject to personification. The earliest example of this that I can think of off hand is in the Bible, Psalm 23:4 “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...” The personification in this example being that death can cast a shadow.

Assignment

Rather than have you read a poem I have selected on personification, I want you to go out on the Internet and find me THREE poems that contain personification. In want you to copy/paste these poems into a word document and email them to me. Be sure that you include a description with each poem that describes how personification is used, and how it affects the poem as a whole.

Here are a few links you could use for your research.

http://www.poetry-online.org/

http://www.emule.com/poetry/?page=author_list

http://www.eliteskills.com/classics.php