Personification or Not?

Front

What is personification?

Back

Personification is a literary device where human qualities are given to animals, objects, or ideas.

Front

Example of personification: 'The wind howled in the night.'

Back

This sentence gives the wind a human action (howling), making it personification.

Front

Example of not personification: 'She was as busy as a bee.'

Back

This is a simile comparing her busyness to a bee, not giving human traits to a bee.

Front

What does it mean when something is not personification?

Back

It means that the sentence does not give human traits to non-human things.

Front

Example of personification: 'The toaster called us when the bagels were done.'

Back

The toaster is given the human ability to call, which is personification.

Front

Example of not personification: 'Life is a highway.'

Back

This is a metaphor comparing life to a highway, not giving human traits.

Front

What is a simile?

Back

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as'.

Front

Example of personification: 'The tires on the car screeched in protest.'

Back

The tires are given the human ability to protest, which is personification.

Front

What is a metaphor?

Back

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn't literally true, often for rhetorical effect.

Front

Can animals be personified?

Back

Yes, animals can be personified by giving them human traits or emotions.