Explained – What Is Personification & Why Should You Use It
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Adding more depth and creativity into writing can help the readers understand the literature in a very concrete way.
You can do this by using figurative speech in your writing. Narrating objects/non-human things as humans or as something that has feelings can make the writing more creative and adds value.
One such symbolic speech is personification, and you'll learn more about it in the coming passages.
If you're a master at storytelling, but don't know how to visually lay it out - fear not! We have made an article on filmmaking 101, telling you about all of the basic things you need to know.
Personification definition
Personification is a literary device that gives human traits/feelings to non-human objects like ideas or things and speaks as if it were humans.
Personification depends on the reader's imagination to comprehend; it effectively uses figures of speech. Personifying inhuman objects may be a fun, imaginative, and sensible technique for an author to convey a notion or make a statement. For example, "the sun is smiling today." The sun can't smile, but it tells that the sun has come out today and the weather is very sunny.
Personification in literature
Personification can be seen in all of literature's existence. It encourages readers to use their imaginations, and its application may give a tale more dimension and passion.
When it comes to writing, personification may be a very effective tool. Consider the works of legendary novelist John Steinbeck. He wrote in a brief tale called "Flight":
"Five-fingered ferns hung over the water and dropped spray from their fingertips."
The ferns are assigned a characteristic of hands. As a result, Steinbeck breathed life into what could have been a reasonably drab setting.
Personification in film
Personification is used in many animated movies, and it would be impossible to leave a mark in their films if they hadn't used personification.
Animated movies are so captivating and distinctive as the anime of animals and objects appear human and realistic.
Famous examples of personification in film
- Beauty and the Beast: Inanimate items' life and human traits are shown to have stemmed from the individuals they revert to.
- Inside Out: one of Pixar's finest films contains a few of cinema's most outstanding personification representations. The whole plot of the film focuses on the personification of feelings.
What is the purpose of personification?
To add a humoristic touch
Personification seems to be an easy way to make a reader laugh. Readers enjoy the humorous juxtaposition of an inhuman creature being depicted as having human features.
Personification allows for the creation of silliness and ironic juxtaposition humor.
To enhance the reader's imagination
This technique horizons readers' imagination by "thinking" how an inorganic or inhuman object may act, understand, or experience like a human.
In reality, individuals frequently characterize objects and animals in our everyday routines by attaching human behavior or sentiments to them.
A youngster, for instance, attributes moods to a beloved teddy bear to correspond to their beliefs. Additionally, a cat lover might act as though their cat communicates to them and responds.
Through imagination, authors and audiences can perceive a mirror of humanity.
Readers may have a better knowledge of human displays of emotion due to this.
To illustrate the setting
The reality and setting can be created by characterizing numerous plot points. Personification can make the tale look better active or even scarier depending on usage.
For instance, in horror fiction, a home can be inhabited and made to move and be possessed.
Personification is a powerful technique for immersing a person in a tale and giving them a full image of the location.
Charles Dickens portrays a dense fog descending in Bleak House: drifting, hanging, crawling, and "cruelly pinching" a child's feet and hands.
To forge a deeper connection with the reader
Narrating things, thoughts, and creatures as human characteristics quickly connects readers. In Call of the Wild, Jack London portrays "stars jumping" across the sky in the night.
To explain concepts more directly
You can express theories and thoughts better clearly and purely by putting non-human beings or lifeless things to life. Consider the age-old debate about the "birds and the bees."
Characterizing birds and bees makes the subject more readily understandable.
Learn how to become a better screenwriter
Personification can add value to your literature and films if used in a concise manner.
It leaves a non-perishable mark on your piece and elevates the scene, setting etc.
Personification has been used for ages in literature, films and anime. Using this literary device adds creativity and imagination.
If you want to know more about the crafting of a story, check out our article on how to write a killer script.
Personification FAQ
What is personification?
Giving non-human things, objects, human characteristics, thoughts, feelings and traits to express the ideas more creatively and abstractly is called personification.
What are examples of personification?
“Life moves pretty fast.” (movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) “The sea was angry that day, my friends – like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.” (Seinfeld television series)
