Emotion in poetry: personification

Personification is giving human traits to non-human things that cannot have those traits. Dogs can experience fear; therefore, writing about a fearful dog is not personification. Clouds cannot experience anger; therefore, “angry clouds” is personification.

Writing a poem about a talking cat may have personification, but that doesn’t mean that the personification enhances the emotion of the poetry. Therefore, we need to go deeper to understand how the use of this poetic device can and should help the emotions found in the poem. (Note: all poetry, unless otherwise noted, copyright 2005 Vivian Gilbert Zabel).

Writing about dark, towering clouds can create a sense of dread, but look what happens when we use personification:

The dark and towering clouds rumbled their anger

As they suffocated the frightened sky in the dark.

Now the emotion, stronger, more pronounced, draws our attention. Of course anger is an emotion, but the clouds displaying anger enhances it.

I often use personification in my poetry, almost unconsciously, because it heightens the intensity of emotion: sighing tree branches, whispering winds, sleeping flowers, frightened sky.

The chapel

Like a chapel on a steep crag,

Its bell tower pointing upwards,

My life does not nestle sheltered in the valley

Beneath the trees that keep the scorching sun at bay.

Stone walls do not slow down the power of the wind that hits.

No, my chapel struggles to resist strong gales,

Scorching heat and icy cold, no protection against attack.

However, as I look around me, eyes wide with astonishment.

In the extended panorama where every time I look,

The view is worth the fight, the fight and the pain.

Where else can I see what beauty can be found?

Unless you live above the clutter, near the clouds,

Despite the storms that shake the walls of life,

I would miss the majesty that can abound.

The road to the top of my mountain can be steep

Over the jagged teeth of the raging rocks.

However, the journey is worth the difficulty, the anguish

Even if a towering storm hides the sun,

‘Cause a rainbow will follow the rain one day

Even if the storm destroys the chapel.

In the above poem we find a fighting chapel and raging rocks, both of these images provide a battle-type thrill.

Personification allows the reader to feel more of the emotion the poet is trying to create and share. Practicing the use of personification allows us to be more competent.