Personification

Aim: Choose and use words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination.

Definition
Personification is a figure of speech in which an object, an idea or an animal is given
human qualities.

If you can imagine an object doing actions or behaving like a person, that’s personification.

Activity
1. Match the object to the human quality to complete the sentence.

Object Human quality

The candle flame nodded in the wind.

The chocolate cake in the crept into the classroom.

fridge
The party danced in the dark.

The wallflowers sang a lonely song.

Along with the teacher, silence was calling her name.

The wind died as soon as he left.

2. What effect does the use of personification have on the reader?




3. Use a picture and choose a verb to create your own sentence using personification
to describe the object. Use the best verb to create the image that you want to put in
the reader’s mind.

For example:

The summer sun hugged the meadow.

watched
sang

hugged screeched

yelled

smiled swallowed

4. Challenge
Choose your own objects and verbs and personify the object to create an image for
the reader.


 Personification
Aim: Choose and use words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination.

Definition
Personification is a figure of speech in which an object, an idea or an animal
is given human qualities.

If you can imagine an object doing actions or behaving like a person, that’s personification.

Activity
1. Match the object to the human quality to complete the sentence.

Object Human quality

The candle flame nodded in the wind.

The chocolate cake in the crept into the classroom.

fridge
The party danced in the dark.

The wallflowers sang a lonely song.

Along with the teacher, silence was calling her name.

The wind died as soon as he left.

2. Once you have matched the parts of the sentence, underline the object and underline
the verb in each sentence.

3. What effect does the use of personification have on the reader?




4. Use a picture and choose a verb to create your own sentence using personification
to describe the object. Use the best verb to create the image that you want to put in
the reader’s mind.

For example:

The summer sun hugged the meadow.

watched
sang

hugged screeched

yelled

smiled swallowed

Challenge:
Can you use more than one verb to personify the objects in each sentence to create the
image you want for the reader?
Use the same pictures or choose your own objects to describe.
For example:

The tiny boat danced wildly in the waves as the sails pleaded for calm.


 Personification
Aim: Use and evaluate how figurative language has an impact on the reader.

Definition
Personification is a figure of speech in which an object, an idea or an animal
is given human qualities.

If you can imagine an object doing actions or behaving like a person, that’s personification.

Activity
1. Read the passage below and improve it by adding personification to the objects.
Choose and use personification carefully: Too much, and the writing is difficult to
take seriously and inappropriate personification makes it hard to create the desired
effect for the reader.

When she opened her eyes in the morning, it was because a young housemaid
had come into her room to light the fire and was kneeling on the hearthrug,
raking out the cinders noisily. Mary lay and watched her for a few moments
and then began to look about the room. She had never seen a room at all like it
and thought it curious and gloomy. The walls were covered with a tapestry with
a forest scene embroidered on it. There were fantastically dressed people under
the trees and in the distance, there was a glimpse of the turrets of a castle. There
were hunters and horses and dogs and ladies. Mary felt as if she were in the
forest with them. Out of a deep window, she could see a great climbing stretch
of land which seemed to have no trees on it, and to look rather like an endless,
dull, purplish sea.
2. Underline the words and phrases that you have added for effect.
For example;

When she opened her reluctant eyes in the impatient morning...



3. Share your work with a buddy. Talk about your work. Can you describe the effect
your improvements have on the reader? Does it create the desired effect? Record
your ideas.



Challenge: Write a short piece of narrative and include personification where
appropriate to make the chosen impact on the reader. Pair-share your work and
evaluate your successes.


Has the writer successfully maintained the intended impact?

How? Record your evaluation.


 Personification Answers
1.

Object Human quality

The candle flame nodded in the wind.

The chocolate cake in the crept into the classroom.

fridge
The party danced in the dark.

The wallflowers sang a lonely song.

Along with the teacher, silence was calling her name.

The wind died as soon as he left.

2. What effect does the use of personification have on the reader?

Writers can help the reader make an image of something in their minds when they use
personification. Using a human characteristic for an object that is easy to recognise is an
effective way to create a specific impact on the reader.

3. Use a picture and choose a verb to create your own sentence using personification to describe the
object. Use the best verb to create the image that you want to put in the reader’s mind.
Various appropriate responses using the pictures and verbs given.

4. Challenge. Choose your own objects and verbs and personify the object to create an image for
the reader.
Various appropriate responses using the pictures and verbs chosen.
 Personification Answers
1.

Object Human quality

The candle flame nodded in the wind.

The chocolate cake in the crept into the classroom.

fridge
The party danced in the dark.

The wallflowers sang a lonely song.

Along with the teacher, silence was calling her name.

The wind died as soon as he left.

2. Once you have matched the parts of the sentence, underline the object and underline the verb in
each sentence.

3. What effect does the use of personification have on the reader?

Writers can help the reader make an image of something in their minds when they use
personification. Using a human characteristic for an object that is easy to recognise is an
effective way to create a specific impact on the reader.

4. Use a picture and choose a verb to create your own sentence using personification to describe the
object. Use the best verb to create the image that you want to put in the reader’s mind.
Various appropriate responses using the pictures and verbs given.
Challenge:
Can you use more than one verb to personify the objects in each sentence to create the image you
want for the reader?
Various appropriate responses using the pictures and verbs given.
 Personification Answers
1. Read the passage below and improve it by adding personification to the objects.
Choose and use personification carefully: Too much, and the writing is difficult to take seriously
and inappropriate personification makes it hard to create the desired effect for the reader.
Various appropriate responses following an atmosphere of apprehension, uncertainty and
wonder using the objects and verbs given in the text.
2. Underline the words and phrases that you have added for effect.
Objects (nouns) should be underlined with personification verbs to create the desired image.
3. Share your work with a buddy. Talk about your work. Can you describe the effect your improve-
ments have on the reader? Does it create the desired effect? Record your ideas.
Pair-share talk responses recorded for evaluation. The responses should include
identification of objects and personified verbs that appropriately create and maintain the
atmosphere of apprehension, uncertainty and wonder at Mary being in a new environment.
Challenge: Write a short piece of narrative and include personification where appropriate to make
the chosen impact on the reader. Pair-share your work and evaluate your successes.
Independent work will generate appropriately personified narrative.
Has the writer successfully maintained the intended impact? How?
Pupils will be able to identify a consistent and appropriate theme throughout the narrative to
convey the writer’s intentions, for example; humour, fear, adventure, danger etc.