3/25/2014- Personification

I can identify, write, and explain personification.

Mustang Minute
A Summer Afternoon
Swish, swish swaying trees,
Splash-splish jumping fish,
Crash-bang thundering clouds,
Ker-plop falling rain.
 —Anonymous

This is an example of an echoic poem (one that uses onomatopoeias). In your writer’s notebook brainstorm some of your favorite places or times. Next, think of sounds you might hear there/then.  Finally, write a 4 line poem like the one above. Each line should have an onomatopoeia.

Today we talked about personification. Personification is: Giving a nonhuman human like characteristics.

Watch the following clip (sorry it's so poorly edited) and see what human like characteristics Abu (the monkey) and the magic carpet have.

Now that you've watched the video, use this paper to guide the rest of your actions. i.e. fill the paper in.

The notes page above tells you to read a poem in the text book. That's obviously not an option if you are gone, so here is the poem!

I like to see it lap the Miles - (383)
by EMILY DICKINSON

I like to see it lap the Miles -
And lick the Valleys up - 
And stop to feed itself at Tanks - 
And then - prodigious step

Around a Pile of Mountains - 
And supercilious peer
In Shanties - by the sides of Roads - 
And then a Quarry pare

To fit it's sides
And crawl between
Complaining all the while
In horrid - hooting stanza - 
Then chase itself down Hill - 

And neigh like Boanerges - 
Then - prompter than a Star
Stop - docile and omnipotent
At it's own stable door -

Here is a link to an explanation about the poem, but basically, it'a a poem that gives a train human like characteristics.

The next part of the lesson is to describe Pop Rocks. We actually had Pop Rocks in class to help us describe them. Since you are at home, do you best without. After you have written down describing words (as per the notes page), write 5 sentences in which you personify Pop Rocks. Be careful not to write a simile, metaphor, or simple description on accident.

Some of my favorite examples from today were:

• Pop Rocks are jousting in my mouth.
• Pop Rocks chatter on their way down my throat. 
• They laugh on my tongue.
• They cackle at my pain.

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Personifying things that move and make noise is pretty simple. Personifying things that do not move or make sound can be much harder. The last thing we did today was write a poem personifying a number. Below you will see a chart. Pick a number and write it above the chart. Next, fill in the chart and write a 6 sentence poem. Each sentence should have one personification that you put in your chart. For example,

Eight
8 likes to throw her weight around.
She's bossy but sweet- just watch out if she calls you "sweetie."
8 thinks she's a nobody, but she's only 2 away from a perfect 10.
8 struts; she's got moves and she knows it.
8 checks out skinny little 7 and 9, but she's not intimidated.
She's loud, proud, strong, and yet cooperative.
Eight is great.