Personification -meaning and 50 examples

What is Personification?

Personification is a figure of speech where human attributes or characteristics are given to inanimate or nonhuman objects. Personification is also useful in creating more exciting and fascinating characters and scenes.

Without any doubt, readers are logically oblivious of the fact that inanimate objects don’t have human feelings, they cannot think nor behave like humans, yet personifying these inanimate objects adds creativity and efficiency when making a point or illustrating a concept.

Importance of Personification in Writing

Generally, personification helps to link the inanimate (nonhuman object) with the animate (living things). Hence, it lets writers express the meaning in a poetic and creative manner.

Through these figures of speech, the reader’s comprehension, interpretations of themes and symbols, enjoyment of language are further improved.

Also Read: Onomatopoeia and 48 examples

Personification -Instances of use in writing

• Exercise Poetic Skill
A good number of poets depend on personification to create a mental picture and a lasting symbolism. We see poets attribute human characteristics to inanimate or nonhuman objects, even animals. We read in poems where poets allow animals like birds make statements like “never more”, like in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem.

• Create Humor
Personification can be a splendid tool in creating humor for a reader. Personification also allows writers to create humor related to ridiculousness and disagreement. Using personification to create humor adds more excitement to your writing and also puts readers in a relaxed mood which spurs them up to go on reading the write up.

Also Read: Hyperbole -Meaning and 42 examples of Hyperbole

• Demonstrate Creativity
Personification allows the writer to demonstrate his level of creativity. For personification to have value as a figure of speech, the human characteristics given to a nonhuman object through personification must have great meaning to readers.

Hence, there is need to assess the kind of nonhuman object to be given human attributes, as one can not randomly assign human attributes to any nonhuman object. It therefore it requires a great deal of creativity on the part of the writer to be able to create a connection between human and nonhuman object for a successful personification to be achieved.

Examples of Personification

1. The mighty ring from my phone woke me up this morning.
2. I like onions, but they don’t like me.
3. The sign on the door insulted my intelligence.
4. My phone is not cooperating with me today.
5. That bus is running too fast.
6. My computer is very hardworking.
7. My alarm yelled at me this morning.
8. My battery is dead.
9. This article says a lot about premarital sex.
10. Unfortunately, when she stepped on the Lego, her foot cried.
11. That door stepped in my way.
12. The mail is running unusually slow this week.
13. The school bell called us from outside.
14. In addition, the storm trampled the town.
15. I find it hard to get my calendar to work for me.
16. The sunflowers hung their heads.
17. This advert speak to me.
18. The cupboard groans when you open it.
19. Can you see that star winking at you?
20. Books reach out to kids.
21. The wind whispered in my ear.
22. Your picture says a lot about you.
23. Fear gripped the patient waiting for a diagnosis.
24. The mouth of the cave was wide open when we got there.
25. Her eyes are frowning at us.
26. So sad that my brain is not working fast enough today.
27. Those windows are watching us.
28. Our coffee maker wishes us good morning.
29. The sun kissed my cheeks when I went outside.
30. The sea is quite today.
31. Oh Africa, here I come!
32. The smell of baking cake welcomed us inside.
33. The cold hands of death snatched the king yesterday.
34. I have been tormented by a series of injuries since the beginning of the year.
35. How time flies.
36. The sun wasn’t friendly at all today.
37. Hardship teaches us to be tough in life.
38. The sky looks gloomy today.
39. The leaves danced and fluttered in the breeze.
40. The night was scary and lonely.
41. A successful man looks at every opportunity that comes knocking on his door and grabs it with both hands.
42. The incessant grumbling of the thunder didn’t allow me to sleep at night.
43. The run-down house looked dejected.
44. Delay is dangerous.
45. Never take a golden opportunity for granted if not it will walk away from you.