Personification Exercise
To make writing more vivid, an author sometimes treats ideas, animals, or objects like persons. This device is called
Personification. To describe the sound of a stream, an author may borrow an ability that only a person possesses in
order to make his imagery more vivid. He may write that “the stream murmured” instead of “the stream flowed with
almost no noise.” The use of “murmured” suggests that the stream is a person.
Directions: In each blank space below, an expression of personification is omitted. Choose from the list of words
below the expression which would complete each sentence most vividly. The rest of the sentences will help you
decide which expression is most appropriate for each sentence.
1. A long line of cars ________________________ about the delay at the bridge.
2. The melting candles ________________________ on the polished table.
3. In the center of town was a cathedral ________________________ the other roofs.
4. Tall sunflower stalks began to swing ________________________ in the breeze.
5. The cabin had no damage except a broken window which a spider _________________.
6. Shadows of the vine ________________________ on the bedroom wall.
7. Five violets ________________________ on the rim of the vase.
8. Brightly ________________________ maples stood ________________________ along
the driveway.
9. In the hayloft the mice squeaked and ________________________.
10. As the earth shook, our house ________________________.
11. Sandpipers ________________________ the edge of the beach with millions of tiny
stitches.
12. The ranger watched helplessly as ________________________ of flame
________________________ one tall tree after another.
13. A huge limb of the oak broke off, leaving a gap which dripped sap
__________________.
14. As the storm approached ________________________ leaves
________________________ at my screen door for protection.
15. The ________________________ of the aged apple tree ________________________
under the weight of its fruit.
16. ________________________ clouds of smoke rose from the chimneys of the
________________________village.
baked frightened danced and curtseyed looking down upon
gagged embroidered shed their wax tears like a bleeding wound
sagged knee-deep their golden heads
begged red tongues had tried to mend
sleepy gnarled arms chinned themselves
complained uniformed began to groan and tremble
demanded lazy shoulder to shoulder
