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Giving human qualities to something that is
non-living
Examples:
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The wind sang her mournful song through the
falling leaves.
The daffodils nodded their yellow heads at the
walkers.
During the earthquake, the china danced on the
shelves.
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As we read the poem, what human qualities do
the shadows display?
Examples:
 You could have knocked me over with a feather.
 The lion had a roar that would flatten all the trees in the
jungle.
 I felt so low that I could crawl under the belly of a worm.
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“It’s a slow burg – I spent a couple of weeks there one day.”
- Carl Sandburg, “The People, Yes”
“Why does a boy …
Take all day – and sometimes two –
To get to school?”
- John Ciardi, “Speed Adjustments”
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she left her purse on Noah's ark.
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Jurassic Park brought back the memories.
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when she ran the 100 meter dash, they timed her with a sundial.
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when she was in school, there was no history class!
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when I asked for her ID, she handed me a rock.
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she recalls when the Grand Canyon was a ditch.
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the fire department is on standby when you light her birthday cake.
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Your teacher’s so old …