Humorous Examples of Personification in Poetry

Personification in Children's Poetry

Many humorous examples of personification in poetry can be found in children’s literature. Personification is used when the dish and the spoon ran and when the dog laughed:

Hey diddle, Diddle,

The cat and the fiddle,

The cow jumped over the moon;

The little dog laughed

To see such sport,

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Another of the humorous examples of personification in poetry is a poem called “A Cat Named Joe” where a cat thinks in a different way than cats usually think, and engages in conversation. Here is an excerpt:

There's a cat named Joe and you wouldn't want to know

But he thinks he'd like to be a Hippopotamus

And it sounds very strange, and he really wants to change

And in that way he's just like a lot of us

Oh, it wouldn't be so bad if he was certified as mad

But he's not... he holds a normal conversation

It's just that within he's in a different kind of skin

And it causes him a lot of botheration

This funny anonymous poem is written from a child’s perspective and personifies food. It is called “My Dinner Loves Dancing” and an except follows:

My food loves to prance, to jump, to dance;

I wait for the time, I wait for the chance!

As mommy goes in and out of the room;tables and chairs become their ballroom!

I flick my fingers; swing my wrist.

Beans and turkey are doing the twist!

Peas, plumbs, apples or mangos;

on to the walls, they're doing the tango!

Personification in Adult Poetry

Personification is also used in humorous adult poetry.

This funny example of personification imagines what a poem would be like over lunch:

Take a Poem to Lunch by Denise Rodgers

I'd love to take a poem to lunch

or treat it to a wholesome brunch

of fresh cut fruit and apple crunch.

I'd spread it neatly on the cloth

beside a bowl of chicken broth

and watch a mug of root beer froth.

I'd feel the words collect the mood,

the taste and feel of tempting food

popped in the mouth and slowly chewed,

and get the smell of fresh baked bread

that sniffs inside and fills our head

with thoughts that no word ever said.

And as the words rest on the page

beside the cumin, salt and sage,

and every slowly starts to age,

like soup that simmers as it's stirred,

ingredients get mixed and blurred

and blends in taste with every word

until the poet gets it right,

the taste and smell

and sound and sight,

the words that make it fit.

Just write.

Since we've provided a funny poem about cats, it only seems fair to give dogs their due as well. So, here's Denise Rodgers humorous personification poem about what would happen if dogs could talk.

If Dogs Could Talk by Denise Rodgers

If dogs could talk, what they would say

would simply take your breath away.

Like: I don't want to see your knees.

Or: Pass a bit of roast beef, please.

When dawning sun shines in the east

they'd say: It's time for morning's feast.

When silent, still and somewhat broodish,

their minds are simply on your food dish.

Some might speak with British accent,

sniffing one another's back scent.

Some might lisp and some might stammer,

some would have atrocious grammar.

Some would chitchat, some would twaddle.

Some would rush and some would dawdle.

Curling on your soft bed nightly,

most would say: Good night,

politely.

Your dinner rarely speaks to you in real life, but Sharon Hendricks gave it some personality in her Dinnertime Chorus.

Dinnertime Chorus by Sharon Hendricks

The teapot sang as the water boiled

The ice cubes cackled in their glass

the teacups chattered to one another.

While the chairs were passing gas

The gravy gurgled merrily

As the oil danced in a pan.

Oh my dinnertime chorus

What a lovely, lovely clan!

Sharon Hendricks also looked at what would happen if her town could speak in the next example of personification poetry.

My Town by Sharon Hendricks

The leaves on the ground danced in the wind

The brook sang merrily as it went on its way.

The fence posts gossiped and watched cars go by

which winked at each other just to say hi.

The traffic lights yelled, ”Stop, slow, go!”

The tires gripped the road as if clinging to life.

Stars in the sky blinked and winked out

While the hail was as sharp as a knife.

Carter and Joe tackled a big subject in their personification poem about the planet.

Planet Space By Carter and Joe

The black hole awoke,

He stretched his mouth with a mighty roar,

As he beckoned all the stars,

The black hole started to erode,

Is this the end...?

The sun says, 'Leave the stars alone and,

Pick on someone your own size,

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, leave my solar system and never come back!'

Kiss by Anonymous

I am sending you a kiss

That will land on your knee,

Climb up your leg,

Scramble over you back,

And hide in your hair.

Then, when you are about to fall asleep,

It will bite you gently on your neck

And whisper in your ear, ‘I love you’.

Figurative Language

Figurative language is the overall description of language that compares two things in an unusual and interesting way.

The seven types of figurative language are:

Alliteration is the easiest type of figurative language to see, because it is the repetition of the first sound in two or more words. An example is: “A skunk sat on a stump. The stump thought the skunk stunk. The skunk thought the stump stunk. What stunk, the skunk or the stump?”

Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used to emphasize a point. It can be funny or even ridiculous and bring depth and life to a character. One example would be: “you could have knocked me over with a feather”.

Imagery is figurative language that appeals to the reader’s senses. It can describe any object, thought, or desire. A good example is from Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud: “A host of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” This allows the reader to “picture in his mind the scene Wordsworth is describing.

Metaphor is a comparison between two things, which doesn’t make sense until you understand the trait that the two things share. It sounds false at first, but is a clever way to make a point. Examples include: “America is a melting pot”, and “You are my sunshine.”

Onomatopoeia is using words that sound like their meaning. They can add fun to your writing, making it come alive and helping the reader experience the scene you are describing. Here are some examples:

Goggle

Crunch

Zap

Zing

Ping

Clang

Bong

Quack

Meow

Oink

Beep

Whirr

Hum

Whoosh

Swish

Smash

Wham

Simile is a comparison of two things, using the words “like” and “as.” Examples include:

"as easy as shooting fish in a barrel"

"as dry as a bone"

"they fought like cats and dogs"

"like watching grass grow"

Personification gives human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas. It is widely used in many forms of literature, especially poetry. Examples would include:

"the sun played hide and seek with the clouds"

"opportunity knocked on the door"

Figurative language, and personification in poetry, can change the way you perceive the poetry and can change the meaning of the poem.