Personification

1
Personification
2
What is personification?

• Personification is a comparison that gives human
  qualities (such as emotion) and actions to non
  human objects or ideas.
• Example
• the whistling wind
• (We are comparing the sound of the wind to a
  person whistling)

• Non-Example
• Scooby Dooby Doo! yelled Scooby Doo.
• (While a dog cant actually yell, we are NOT
  comparing anything herewe are actually assuming
  that a dog can talk.

3
April Rain SongLet the rain kiss youLet the
rain beat upon your head with silver liquid
dropsLet the rain sing you a lullabyThe rain
makes still pools on the sidewalkThe rain makes
running pools in the gutterThe rain plays a
little sleep song on our roof at nightAnd I love
the rain. by Langston Hughes
4
Sea Lullabyby Elinor Wylie

• The old moon is tarnished
• With smoke of the flood,
• The dead leaves are varnished
• With colour like blood,
•  
• A treacherous smiler
• With teeth white as milk,
• A savage beguiler
• In sheathings of silk,
•  
• The sea creeps to pillage,
• She leaps on her prey
• A child of the village
• Was murdered today.

• She came up to meet him
• In a smooth golden cloak,
• She choked him and beat him
• To death, for a joke.
•  
• Her bright locks were tangled,
• She shouted for joy,
• With one hand she strangled
• A strong little boy.
•  
• Now in silence she lingers
• Beside him all night
• To wash her long fingers
• In silvery light.

5
Sea Lullaby
6
evidence
7
pictures of the crime scene
The old moon is tarnished With smoke of the
flood, The dead leaves are varnished With
colour like blood,   A treacherous smiler With
teeth white as milk, A savage beguiler In
sheathings of silk,   The sea creeps to pillage,
She leaps on her prey A child of the village
Was murdered today
She came up to meet him In a smooth golden
cloak, She choked him and beat him To death,
for a joke.   Her bright locks were tangled, She
shouted for joy, With one hand she strangled A
strong little boy.   Now in silence she lingers
Beside him all night To wash her long fingers
In silvery light
8
What crime has occurred?
9
Clues
The old moon is tarnished With smoke of the
flood, The dead leaves are varnished With
colour like blood,   A treacherous smiler With
teeth white as milk, A savage beguiler In
sheathings of silk,   The sea creeps to pillage,
She leaps on her prey A child of the village
Was murdered today
She came up to meet him In a smooth golden
cloak, She choked him and beat him To death,
for a joke.   Her bright locks were tangled, She
shouted for joy, With one hand she strangled A
strong little boy.   Now in silence she lingers
Beside him all night To wash her long fingers
In silvery light
10
Who is our suspect?
The old moon is tarnished With smoke of the
flood, The dead leaves are varnished With
colour like blood,   A treacherous smiler With
teeth white as milk, A savage beguiler In
sheathings of silk,   The sea creeps to pillage,
She leaps on her prey A child of the village
Was murdered today
She came up to meet him In a smooth golden
cloak, She choked him and beat him To death,
for a joke.   Her bright locks were tangled, She
shouted for joy, With one hand she strangled A
strong little boy.   Now in silence she lingers
Beside him all night To wash her long fingers
In silvery light
11
Who is our victim?
The old moon is tarnished With smoke of the
flood, The dead leaves are varnished With
colour like blood,   A treacherous smiler With
teeth white as milk, A savage beguiler In
sheathings of silk,   The sea creeps to pillage,
She leaps on her prey A child of the village
Was murdered today
She came up to meet him In a smooth golden
cloak, She choked him and beat him To death,
for a joke.   Her bright locks were tangled, She
shouted for joy, With one hand she strangled A
strong little boy.   Now in silence she lingers
Beside him all night To wash her long fingers
In silvery light
12
Where did the crime occur?
The old moon is tarnished With smoke of the
flood, The dead leaves are varnished With
colour like blood,   A treacherous smiler With
teeth white as milk, A savage beguiler In
sheathings of silk,   The sea creeps to pillage,
She leaps on her prey A child of the village
Was murdered today
She came up to meet him In a smooth golden
cloak, She choked him and beat him To death,
for a joke.   Her bright locks were tangled, She
shouted for joy, With one hand she strangled A
strong little boy.   Now in silence she lingers
Beside him all night To wash her long fingers
In silvery light
13
When did the crime occur?
The old moon is tarnished With smoke of the
flood, The dead leaves are varnished With
colour like blood,   A treacherous smiler With
teeth white as milk, A savage beguiler In
sheathings of silk,   The sea creeps to pillage,
She leaps on her prey A child of the village
Was murdered today
She came up to meet him In a smooth golden
cloak, She choked him and beat him To death,
for a joke.   Her bright locks were tangled, She
shouted for joy, With one hand she strangled A
strong little boy.   Now in silence she lingers
Beside him all night To wash her long fingers
In silvery light
14
Sea Lullaby WRAP SHEET
Who?______________________________________________
_____ What?_____________________________________
_____________ Where?____________________________
_____________________ When?_____________________
_____________________________ How?______________
_____________________________________
15
YOUR ASSIGNMENT SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT
IT   Imagine that you are the boy that was
murdered by the sea. If you were given the
chance to testify at the murder trial what would
you tell the jury about the attack and about the
events leading up to the attack.   Write a story
describing the attack from the boys point of
view. Use personification as well as imagery.
Imagine that the sea is actually capable of
attacking you in the way that the poem
describes.   What were you doing before the
attack? How did you make the sea angry? Did you
fight back or were your efforts no use? Did
anyone see the attack?