Figurative Language

Personification is giving human qualities to things that are not human. You can personify objects, concepts or animals.

Example: OBJECT: My computer hates me! (computers cannot hate; that is a human quality)

CONCEPT: Time marches on. (time cannot march; again, a human quality)

ANIMAL: The birds sang in chorus. (birds cannot sing in a sense that humans can)

Open your figurative language journal:

Activity: Personification

1. On your own paper, write the object being personified and the meaning of the personification.

The wind sang her mournful song through the falling leaves. ( Wind = Was blowing through the leaves)
The microwave timer told me it was time to turn my TV dinner. (Timer = Beeped after it was done)
The video camera observed the whole scene.
The strawberries seemed to sing, "Eat me first!"
The rain kissed my cheeks as it fell.
The daffodils nodded their yellow heads at the walkers.
The water beckoned invitingly to the hot swimmers.
The snow whispered as it fell to the ground during the early morning hours.
The china danced on the shelves during the earthquake.
10. The car engine coughed and sputtered when it started during the blizzard.

Now: Fold a white sheet of paper into four sections.

Divide each section into two columns: label one column "literal meaning" and second column "figurative meaning."
Choose four of the examples from the above activity to illustrate the literal meaning and the figurative meaning.
For example, if I were doing number nine, I would draw the dishes dancing in the literal column and dishes shaking on the shelves in the figurative meaning column.
Label each illustration with the personification example sentence, color them, and keep it to pass in with your journal.

2. Click on the link below and play the game.

Web Link

Personification Basketball
Description: Click on the link to play the personification game.