For example, you could look at William Wordsworth’s poem ‘I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud’. In this poem you will read daffodils ‘Tossing their heads in a sprightly dance’. There are lots of easy to read personification poems online that you can look at for inspiration. [2] X Research source
An animal, such as a cat or a dog. A natural phenomenon, such as a cloud or a storm. A geographical or geological feature, such as a mountain or a volcano.
Human expressions, such as smiling or frowning. Human feelings, such as embarrassment or anger. Human actions, such as dancing or running.
The cat was smiling at me. The angry cloud moved closer. The peaks of the mountains danced on the horizon.
For example, a smiling cat would normally be a positive friendly image. The angry cloud, however, is a more negative and threatening image. In this example, the cloud and the description of it as angry, work together to produce an image in your mind. Write down a few examples of positive and negative personifications.
If you chose the angry cloud, you could write a few lines about watching an approaching storm. It could start with a line describing seeing angry clouds rushing towards you. Try to write at least four lines about watching a storm that personifies the weather. [8] X Research source Then pick another of the images you wrote down earlier and write a short poem about that.
Remember to keep using words that personify nonhuman things. In this example you might say that the angry clouds passed, and a bright blue sky grinned down at you. You can use words that personify the weather after the storm in a positive way, which contrasts with the negative personifications of the weather during the storm.
Personification can also give deeper meaning to things that appear less meaningful from the outside. Remember that we all look at the world through a human perspective, and personification works to creatively bring nonhuman things into that perspective. [9] X Research source
