If we look carefully and observe closely, we can see animals and non-living things show human traits. Poets throughout history have used this to their advantage by incorporating this behaviour in their poems. This act of giving human attributes to a non-human; an animal, object or an idea, is known as personification. It adds depth and colour to the poem by bringing non-human objects to life. Their nature, action, and purpose in relation to the poem are better understood by using this ingredient.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The use of personification can be found in many ancient texts, including the Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament.
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
~ The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.
Poe describes December, a month, as bleak which literally means something without colour; cheerless; miserable; emotionally desolate. He calls the embers dying, to describe a fire about to extinguish. These personified images contribute to the overall theme of the poem - death.
April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain.
These are the opening lines of The Waste Land, by T. S. Eliot. The first line contains personification as it labels April as the 'cruellest month'.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
However, personification should not be confused with anthropomorphism, which is the act of showing or treating animals, gods, and objects as if they are human in appearance, character, or behaviour.
Examples: Alice in Wonderland, Winnie-the-Pooh, Chota Bheem etc.
A wise old owl lived in an oak The more he saw the less he spoke The less he spoke the more he heard. Why can't we all be like that wise old bird? ~ A Wise Old Owl (nursery rhyme).
