How to Use Poetic Devices: Personification

Welcome back to my series: How to Use Poetic Devices! Last time, we covered enjambment. This post will be all about personification; what it is, an example, and some tips to make your use of personification even better.

What is personification?

Personification is a poetic device where writers give human qualities to something non-human OR they use a human (or figure) to represent something abstract.

An example:

Many of my personal favorite examples of personification can be found in Emily Dickinson's poetry. Perhaps one of the most popular is "Hope is a thing with feathers":

“Hope” is the thing with feathers—

That perches in the soul—

And sings the tune without the words—

And never stops — at all —

And sweetest — in the Gale — is heard—

And sore must be the storm—

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm—

I’ve heard it in the chillest land—

And on the strangest Sea—

Yet — never — in Extremity,

It asked a crumb — of me.

Tips:

Personification is another way to create imagery in your poems. It draws readers in and helps to create a more vivid emotion, memory, sensory feeling, etc. I usually recommend the more imagery the better!

Personification can take the form of:

• Metaphors

• Similes

• Enjambment

and so many other poetic devices!

Struggling to get inspired? Check in with how you feel. I often feel like a sleepy cat curled up on the couch, or the light bulb overhead that’s flickering out.

How do you feel? What vibes do you get from the items and creatures around you?

Happy writing! For more inspiration, visit my social media pages for prompts, tips, and more :)