You might have heard someone say something like “that spring pounced at me.” Springs can not literally pounce, so you might think this was a strange sentence; however that person was just using personification. Personification is a form of figurative language that involves assigning human qualities to non-human things. Any non-human subject can be personified, including animals, plants, and even abstract concepts.
However, how do you use personification appropriately? This blog will show you some personification examples and teach you to use them effectively.
Table of Contents
Where Are Personification Examples Commonly Used?
Personification Examples in Literature
Personification is a great way to invoke imagery and convey emotion similarly to how metaphors do. Thus, it’s often used in poetry and novels, as those works rely on powerful imagery and emotion to tell their stories. Romantic poetry in particular tends to use personification to convey intensity. Phrases like, “the heart yearns” gives the heart a human action to represent being in love and yearning for someone to love you back. Modern fiction and classic examples such as Shakespeare use personification often.
Personification Examples in Everyday Speech
Personification is used in everyday speech to make conversations more colorful and engaging. Generally, everyday conversations don’t involve as much personification as literature or other pieces of art, but a number of common phrases involve personification. For example, phrases like “time flies” (meaning that time goes on quickly) is a common phrase in conversations that use personification.
Personification Examples in Media and Advertising
Personification in advertising is often used literally. This includes mascots; things which represent a group or organization. Mascots in advertising often take the form of anthropomorphized animals or pieces of food created to be lighthearted and present products in a positive light . Anthropomorphism is when something is given human qualities, but in a literal sense instead of a figurative one. Personification can help you create memorable slogans that boost brand identity.
Personification Examples in Art and Music
Music often uses personification in lyrics to convey an emotion or push forward a message. These instances of personification work similarly to how they are used in literature. For example, the song Blackbird by The Beatles uses the non-human entity (the blackbird in this case) and how it has been waiting for a long time to make a hopeful statement about racial civil rights in the United States.
50+ Creative Personification Examples with Meanings
Nature Personification Examples
| Phrase | Meaning |
| “The wind whispered through the trees” | Wind blew around the trees and made noise |
| “The sun smiled down on us” | The sun was pleasant |
| “You can see the bushes dancing with the wind” | You can see the bushes being moved by the wind |
| “The ocean roared with might” | The ocean is moving aggressively |
| “The cat was a lonesome thief” | That cat moved alone |
| “The dog cheered when I returned” | The dog was happy |
| “Fishes shiver at my sight” | The fish seems scared of me |
| “This bird has been making complaints at me” | The bird is making a lot of noise |
| “The trees clawed at me” | The tree hit me |
| “The storm was furious” | The storm was intense |
| “Killer Whales seemed to leap in joy of seeing us” | The Killer Whales leap around us |
| “The sun is killing me” | The sun’s heat is making me uncomfortable |
Object Personification Examples
| Phrase | Meaning |
| “The alarm clock screamed at me” | The alarm clock was loud |
| “The car groaned as it climbed the hill” | The car made a weird noise when going up |
| “The hills have eyes” | Someone is hiding in the hills |
| “School alarms are screeching” | The school alarm is loud |
| “That glass flew through the air before hitting the wall” | The glass was thrown into the wall |
| “My face was greeted by the pole” | I hit my face with a pole |
| “I could tell this scale hates me” | The scale is saying a lot of weight |
| “The tear is hurting the wall” | The tear is damaging the all |
| “The spring pounced at me” | The spring was launched towards me |
| “The heart yearns” | I’m pining over someone |
| “The internet died” | The internet stopped working |
| “The chair gave out” | The chair worked |
Abstract Idea Personification Examples
| Phrase | Meaning |
| “Love is blind” | I couldn’t choose who I fell in love with |
| “Fear stalked the battlefield” | Everyone in the battlefield felt fear |
| “Time flies” | Time seemed to move fast |
| “Hope burns with passion” | There is a lot of passionate hope |
| “A living fantasy” | Something amazing happened |
| “Dread crawls inside you” | You feel dread |
| “Nerves spooked out of me” | I got scared |
| “My hunger is killing me” | Im so hungry |
| “Joy spreads to all in the holidays” | A lot of people are happy in the holidays |
| “Sadness lingers” | There is a lot of sadness |
| “Spirits have been lifted” | I’m in a better mood now |
| “The future is coming soon” | Progress is coming |
Funny or Everyday Personification Examples
| Phrase | Meaning |
| “My phone is being stubborn today” | The phone was not working properly |
| “The cookies are calling my name” | I am craving cookies |
| “That painting hurts my eyes” | That painting is really bad |
| “These jobs are killing me” | The jobs is making me tired |
| “Food makes joy more approachable” | Food makes me in a better mood |
| “Killing time” | Wasting time |
| “Feeding my boredom” | I’m getting more bored |
| “Opportunity knocked” | There is a new opportunity |
| “My flowers were begging for water” | The flowers needs water |
| “His hometown is expecting his return” | People in the town want him to return |
| “His book just flew off the shelves within a week of its release” | The book sold really well |
| “The camera just loves me” | I look good in pictures |
How to Practice Using Personification Examples Correctly
Personification is a very prominent literary device, but how do you incorporate it yourself? One very effective way is to start reading poems and look for instances of personification. You can also do this with novels, but poems are shorter and it’s likely easier to pick up on personification in poetry. There is also a great writing exercise you can try out, where you assign human qualities to various plants or animals . Once you are comfortable doing this, try moving on to more abstract subjects such as love, fear or hope. If you want to get really creative, see if you can turn them into characters.
Situations Where You Would Use Personification Examples
Personification is a very powerful creative tool, but you do need to know when it’s most applicable. Here are some example scenarios illustrating appropriate and inappropriate uses of personification:
Appropriate Uses of Personification Examples
- Poetry, novels, and creative writing: Personification can help create better imagery, conveys emotion, and sets a tone. This is especially important in poems and short stories where every line counts.
- Advertising and marketing campaigns: Building slogans or mascots will make your brand more iconic. Using anthropomorphism with mascots is also a good option for you to use.
- Speeches or storytelling for impact: Personification will add color to your speech and ensure that the audience is engaged the entire time.
Inappropriate Uses of Personification Examples
- Academic, technical, or scientific writing: Personification can take away or distract from your thesis as it can blur the lines between the literal study and the figurative language; this is a type of writing where precision is essential to getting your point across.
- Legal and professional documents: Personification comes across as confusing and may be taken literally in legal or professional documents; and these documents require a lot of detail and clarity.
- Situations where literal clarity is required: These can include reports, serious conversations and talking to kids. In these situations, personification can be confusing or out of place as clarity is more important
Conclusion
To recap, personification is a form of figurative language that gives human characteristics to something non-human. It helps create memorable sentences in novels, poems, songs, and advertisements.
Based on what you’ve learned here, see if you can come up with your own personification examples. Share your favorites in the comments!