RIC-6242 Primary Grammar and Word Study - Book C

Figures of speech
Personification
Focus
Personification
Definition
• Personification is a way of describing non-human
things (such as animals and inanimate objects)
using human traits and abilities, such as speaking.
Example:
The trees danced as the wind galloped through
the forest.
Explanation
• Personifying an object or animal can help readers
understand, empathise, connect or react emotionally
to non-human characters. Personification can
inspire imagery and emotion, and provide a different
perspective.
• Personification is often used in poetry, fables and
fairy tales.
Worksheet information
• Teachers might wish to introduce this worksheet
by reading some poetry with personification to
the students and talking about the human traits or
emotions given to inanimate objects or animals.
Examples of some appropriate poems include ‘Two
sunflowers move in the yellow room’ by William
Blake; and ‘In the garden’, ‘The sky is low’ or other
poems by Emily Dickinson.
• Introduce the concept of personification by reading
the selected poem, fable or story, or by pretending to
have a conversation with an every-day object such
as a spoon. Explain that, while in real life objects and
animals cannot speak or act like people, it is fun and
interesting to create stories or poems in which they
can.
• Read the worksheet information and discuss the
term ‘personification’ and why it is used in literature.
Discuss some of the objects in the classroom and
what they might be like if they were imbued with
human characteristics: How would the door act?
Would it be male or female? How would it feel about
being propped open all day and slammed in the
wind? Where would it like to go on holiday?
• Students choose two classroom objects and give
them human emotions and abilities. Students may
enjoy sharing their ‘profiles’ with the rest of the
class or in small groups.
Ideas for further practice
• The Narnia books by CS Lewis contain many animal
characters that think, act and have emotions like
humans. The students might enjoy listening to the
books being read to them in parts over a period of
weeks and discussing the human characteristics the
animals display.
• Students could use the concept of personification to
write about a topic they are studying. For example, if
they are studying water, they could write about the
water cycle from the viewpoint of a drop of water.
Answers
Teacher check
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