Personification

See also: Anthropomorphism

In this illustration by Milo Winter of Aesop's fable, The North Wind and the Sun, a personified North Wind tries to strip the cloak off of a traveler.

Personification of arithmetic

Personification is a figure of speech where non-living organisms, inanimate objects and abstract concepts are described to seem like people.

For Example: "O Rose, thou art sick!" by William Blake

Meaning: Blake personifies the rose as being sick, illustrating the theme of decay and corruption.

In the arts, personification means representing a non-human thing as if it were human. Personification gives human traits and qualities, such as emotions, desires, sensations, gestures and speech, often by way of a metaphor.

Personification is much used in visual arts. Examples in writing are "the leaves waved in the wind", "the ocean heaved a sigh" or "the Sun smiled at us". In easy language personification is just giving an example of a living being for a non-living thing. "The wind shouted". In these examples, the nonhuman subjects are given human characteristics.

Another commonly used personification is found in stories and art where animals and legendary creatures are attributed labels for recognition. This is called anthropomorphism.

Personification Media

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  Set of porcelain figures of personifications of the four continents, Germany, c. 1775, from left: Asia, Europe, Africa, and America. Of these, Africa has retained her classical attributes. Formerly James Hazen Hyde collection.

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  Sandro Botticelli, Calumny of Apelles (c. 1494–95), with 8 personification figures: (from left) Hope, Repentance, Perfidy, innocent victim, Calumny, Fraud, Rancour, Ignorance, the king, Suspicion.

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  Constance and Fortitude in Vienna. Early modern statues with classical iconography.

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  The "Queen of Fortune", helped by four other personifications, turns her wheel. English miniature for John Lydgate's Troy Book, 15th-century.

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  Sculptures Trade (male) and Tolerance (female) in Brno

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  Cartoon on the Entente Cordiale from Punch by John Bernard Partridge, 1904; John Bull stalks off with a defiant Marianne and turns his back on the Kaiser, who pretends not to care.

Related pages

• Anthropomorphism
• Concordia
• Chronos
• Death (personification)
• Gaia (mythology)
• Hel (goddess)
• Helios
• National personification
• Spes