Thursday, March 22, 2018

Personification [Poetry Friday]



This week's Poetry Friday is hosted by Laura Salas at Writing the World for Kids blog.
This is another post in a series where I share instruction and examples on writing specific poetry forms and/or tools that can make poetry shine.


Personification: Personification is giving human qualities to an inanimate object.


Example:


Ode To Sunflowers
by Kimberly M. Hutmacher


Sunflowers, O’ Sunflowers,
Reaching for the skies
Glaring at the clouds above
With your chocolate eyes.


Golden faces nodding
As gray gives way to blue
Happy stems a dancing
As the sun shines anew!
  
                           Copyright Kimberly M. Hutmacher
In the above poem, I gave a sunflower (an inanimate object) a face with eyes and the human ability to dance. These are all examples of personification.


Challenge: Find an object in the room you are in. Study the object, and make a list of ways in which you might give it human qualities. For a further challenge, attempt to write a poem about your object using the tool of personification.


Happy Poem-Making!

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20 comments:

  1. Linda BMarch 22, 2018 at 8:25 PM

    It's a lovely poem, and fun to imagine different objects as people.

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  2. laurasalasMarch 23, 2018 at 4:16 AM

    Lovely poem! Was just talking about heliotropism with students at the Young Authors Conference!

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    1. Kimberly HutmacherMarch 24, 2018 at 6:35 AM

      Thank you, Laura! What a lovely coincidence. If it's helpful, feel free to share this poem with your next group.

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  3. jan godown anninoMarch 23, 2018 at 4:55 AM

    Oh, I'm so happy to be reminded of ode poems & in such a lovely way.
    "Happy stems a dancing" captures a part of the plant that usually is ignored! Those bright yellow petals & the entire head can steal the show. Brava!

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  4. Brenda at FriendlyFairyTalesMarch 23, 2018 at 11:51 AM

    A great activity. I love personification in poetry. Did you read Tabatha's babysitter poem? A great example of it there, too.

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  5. Jane @ www.raincitylibrarian.caMarch 23, 2018 at 1:23 PM

    Such a sweet, sunny poem! And a really fun writing exercise for your writers to really stretch their imaginations!

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  6. Linda MitchellMarch 24, 2018 at 3:32 AM

    Great fun for old poets and new. I love the chocolate eyes, best!

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    1. Kimberly HutmacherMarch 24, 2018 at 6:30 AM

      I love the chocolate eyes, too, Linda. Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  7. KayMarch 24, 2018 at 6:02 AM

    This is such a lovely sunflower poem!

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  8. Molly HoganMarch 24, 2018 at 1:41 PM

    Those chocolate eyes did it for me, too! Thanks for sharing your poem and a great exercise.

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  9. Michelle Heidenrich BarnesMarch 24, 2018 at 4:31 PM

    Yes, those delicious chocolate eyes! Personification is probably my favorite poetic device.

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    Replies
    1. Kimberly HutmacherMarch 25, 2018 at 6:32 AM

      It's one of my favorites, too. Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  10. AnonymousMarch 25, 2018 at 4:25 AM

    Those happy, dancing stems are a welcome sight to winter-weary eyes!

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