How to Give an Object Human Characteristics
The act of giving an object human characteristics is called personification. Authors use personification to make their writing more interesting, provide imagery for the reader and, in some cases, to develop their story line. Personification can give feelings, actions or sensations to objects to create a personal connection between the reader and the text. For example, when using personification, an author can give the moon, qualities of a female, by using phrases such as "the lovely lady moon."
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Instructions
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Choose an object that you want to describe to a reader. You could choose something from nature, a household appliance, or even an animal.
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Brainstorm human qualities that you could attribute to the object. For example, if you choose a tree, you could describe its branches as having the capability to hug, or the leaves being able to sing or whisper. You will want to write down your ideas in a notebook or on some scrap paper.
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Circle the qualities you feel best describe the mood or tone you want to convey about the object to your reader. If you want your object to appear somber and quiet choose words like frowning, glaring or stomping. If you want to make your object appear mysterious, choose words like demure, shy, or graceful.
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Begin writing about your object. You may write in narrative, as if you are describing something or telling a story, or you may write a poem.
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Check your work to make sure you are being consistent in your use of personification. If you have given an object male qualities, continually use pronouns like "he" and "him" to refer to the object.
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When giving an object human feelings, choose feelings that will immediately allow your reader to relate to an object. For example, an angry car beeping in traffic will produce images for the reader of being stuck on a highway, impatiently waiting for traffic to clear.
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When giving an object physical abilities, draw in your reader with images that seem plausible for the object. For example, plants dancing in the wind, or a tornado grabbing up houses could both easily be pictured by a reader.
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Play around with different uses of personification. Write down ideas and read them over until you find the one you like the best.
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Tips & Warnings
Have a friend read your writing and draw the images they got from your use of personification. The results may surprise you, and show you how well you use this figure of speech.
References
Resources
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