Top 6 Best Essays on 'Personification' for 6th Grade

Key Points to Remember

- Personification is the literary technique of attributing human qualities or actions to animals, plants, or objects, making the non-human world more relatable and expressive of human emotions.

- There are three common types of personification:

1. Using words typically associated with humans to describe non-humans.
2. Applying human characteristics or actions to objects or animals.
3. Addressing or referring to non-human things as if they were people.

Guidelines for Writing the Essay

I. What is Personification?

1 - Page 56 Textbook

Find the personification in the following verse:

The sky

Wearing black armor

Goes to battle

Thousands of sugarcane trees

Dancing with swords

Ants

Marching

Everywhere.

(By Trần Đăng Khoa)

Answer:

There are three instances of personification in the verse:

- The sky – wearing black armor – going to battle

- Sugarcane trees – dancing with swords

- Ants – marching

2 - Page 57 Textbook

Compare the following description with the verse above. Which one is more vivid?

- The sky is full of dark clouds.

- Thousands of sugarcane trees sway, their leaves fluttering in the wind.

- Ants crawl everywhere.

Answer:

The verse above is more vivid because it presents the objects and animals acting like humans, giving them energy and emotion that a plain description lacks.

II. Types of Personification

1 - Page 57 Textbook

Which objects or animals are personified in the following sentences?

a) From then on, Old Mouth, Uncle Ear, Sister Eye, Brother Leg, and Brother Arm lived together in harmony, each with their task to do, without any competition.

(Mouth, Ear, Eye, Leg, Arm)

b) Bamboo poles and spikes fought against steel and iron, with bamboo charging at tanks and artillery. Bamboo protected the village, the home, and the golden rice fields.

(New Steel)

c) Oh, buffalo, I tell you,

Go out to the field, plow with me.

(Folk Poem)

Answer:

The personified objects and animals are:

a) Mouth, Ear, Eye, Leg, Arm

b) Bamboo poles, bamboo spikes

c) The buffalo

2 - Page 57 Textbook

Based on the bold words, how is each object personified?

Answer:

a) Using words typically used for humans to describe objects.

b) Using human characteristics or actions to describe non-human things.

c) Addressing or calling non-human things as if they were human.

III. Practice

1 - Page 58 Textbook

Identify and explain the use of personification in the following passage:

The harbor is always lively. The mother ship and the baby ship are docked on the water. The big trucks and small trucks are busy receiving and delivering goods. Everything is in motion.

Answer:

The personification is in the phrases “mother ship,” “baby ship,” and “busy trucks.” These personifications create a sense of human-like activity and energy in the harbor.

2 - Page 58 Textbook

Compare the following passage with the one above:

The harbor is always filled with ships. Big and small ships are docked. Large and small trucks load and unload goods. Everything is in constant operation.

Answer:

The second passage is more neutral and lacks the emotional connection that the first passage creates through personification. The first passage makes the scene feel more lively and full of human-like energy.

3 - Page 58 Textbook

What is the difference between the two styles of writing below? Which style would you choose for an expressive text, and which for an informative one?

Answer:

The first style uses personification by referring to the broom as “Little Broom Girl.” The second does not use personification.

For an expressive piece, choose the first style. For an informative piece, choose the second style.

4 - Page 59 Textbook

For each passage below, explain how the personification is created and its effect:

a) Talking to the mountain as if it were a person.

Effect: Expresses the speaker’s longing to be with their loved one.

b) Using human-like characteristics to describe animals’ actions.

Effect: Makes the passage more engaging and lively.

c) Using human-like actions to describe nature or objects.

Effect: Creates a fresh, intriguing perspective for the reader.

d) Using human characteristics to describe nature or objects.

Effect: Evokes feelings of admiration, sorrow, and hatred toward the enemy.

5 - Page 59 Textbook

Write a short descriptive paragraph on any topic, using personification.

Answer:

My cat is plump, with soft, shiny fur and long, curled whiskers. His sharp claws sometimes scratch my skin, leaving little pink marks. Despite his gruff appearance, he is playful. Whenever I rattle his food dish, he comes running, drawn by the smell of fish. This playful cat is a true companion, always by my side.

I. WHAT IS PERSONIFICATION?

Question 1: Identify the personification in the following verse:

The sky

Wears dark armor

To march into battle

Thousands of sugarcane

Brandish swords

Ants

March to war

All across the path.

- The personifications in this verse include: the sky wearing dark armor to march into battle (representing the phenomenon of dark clouds covering the sky); sugarcane brandishing swords; ants marching to war.

Question 2: Compared to the usual description: the sky filled with dark clouds; thousands of sugarcanes bending; leaves fluttering; ants crawling across the road, the personified images in the verse above are more vivid and dynamic, making the things described seem more alive, like humans.

Remember

Personification is when animals, plants, objects, etc., are described with human traits, making them feel closer to human beings, and expressing the thoughts and emotions of people.

I. TYPES OF PERSONIFICATION

Question 1: In the following examples:

a) From then on, Old Mouth, Uncle Ear, Aunt Eye, and Cousin Leg, Cousin Hand lived together happily...

- The personified items are: Mouth, Ear, Eye, Leg, Hand.

b) Bamboo sticks, bamboo spears fought against the steel weapons of the enemy. Bamboo charged toward tanks and cannons. Bamboo protected the village, the country, the thatched roofs, and the ripened rice fields.

- The personified items are: bamboo sticks, bamboo spears, bamboo.

c) Ox, I say to you

Go out to the field, plow with me.

- The personified item is: the ox.

Question 2: - Mouth, Ear, Eye, Leg, Hand are personified by being called as if they were human, based on age, rank, and gender: Old Mouth, Uncle Ear, Aunt Eye, Cousin Leg, Cousin Hand.

- Bamboo sticks, bamboo spears, bamboo are personified as soldiers fighting courageously against the enemy.

- The ox is personified by being treated as a friend of the person, understanding everything the person says.

Summary:

There are three common types of personification:

1. Using terms meant for humans to refer to objects.

2. Using terms that express human actions or characteristics to describe objects.

3. Speaking to or addressing objects as if they were humans.

III. PRACTICE

Question 1: Identify the personification and explain its effect in the following passage:

- The harbor is always lively. The mother ship and baby ship dock on the water, and the trucks are busy loading and unloading goods. Everything is in motion.

- The personifications include: mother ship, baby ship, big truck, little truck.

Question 2: Compare the expressions in the two passages below:

The harbor is always full of ships. Big ships, small ships dock on the water. Large and small trucks load and unload goods. Everything is operating continuously.

Comparison: In the first passage, the use of personification makes the writing more vivid, engaging, and expressive.

Question 3: What are the differences between the two writing styles? Which should be chosen for a narrative text and which for an informative text?

- Version 1: In the broom family, the Straw Broom is the prettiest. She wears a golden dress that no one else can match. Her outfit is made of golden straw, tightly woven into loops, just like woolen fabric.

(Vũ Duy Thông)

- Version 2: Among the brooms, the straw broom is the most beautiful. It is made from golden straw. The broom handle is tightly woven into strands and coiled.

Note: In Version 1, the author uses personification, making the writing more charming and lively.

Version 1 should be chosen for narrative writing, and Version 2 for informative writing.

Question 4: Explain how personification is created in each excerpt below, and its effect:

a) High mountain, why so tall, mountain?

The mountain blocks the sun, and I can’t see my lover!

(Folk Poetry)

b) When the water rises and the new water flows, crabs and fish hurry in all directions, and all the birds—herons, storks, egrets, cormorants, ducks—fly back to the new waters to catch prey. All day, they quarrel, sometimes fighting over a shrimp, with the thin heron standing in the mud, lifting its beak in vain, not getting any food.

(Tô Hoài)

c) Along the river, tall trees stand stoically, gazing down at the water. [...] The water splashes in every direction, and the boat is ready to sway, trying to turn back to Hòa Phước.

(Võ Quảng)

d) The forest of xà nu trees, with countless trees, none is without wounds. Some are chopped halfway, falling like a storm. The sap leaks out, fragrant under the hot summer sun, slowly hardening, turning black and sticky, forming large clumps of blood-like sap.

- In example a: the mountain is addressed like a person.

- In example b: the birds are described as people: they quarrel, the heron is hungry.

- In example c: the trees stand stoically, and the boat sways as if it had a mind of its own.

- In example d: trees are described as being wounded, the sap flowing like blood.

I. WHAT IS PERSONIFICATION?

Question 1 (page 56, Literature 2 textbook):

The personification in this verse:

+ The sky dons dark armor and marches into battle

+ Countless sugarcane waves their swords

+ Ants march across the path

Question 2 (page 57, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

- Tran Dang Khoa's expression is relatable and vivid, making the lifeless world come alive.

II. TYPES OF PERSONIFICATION

Question 1 (page 57, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

a. The objects personified: Mouth, Ear, Eye, Leg, Hand

b. The objects: Bamboo stick, bamboo spear, bamboo

c. The ox

Question 2 (page 57, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

a. Objects are personified by using terms like: old, aunt, uncle, cousin

b. Using human actions like “fight against”, “charge”, “protect”

c. Talking to objects as if speaking to a person.

EXERCISES

Exercise 1 (page 58, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Objects personified: ship (mother ship, baby ship), truck (big truck, little truck)

-> Personification helps the reader vividly imagine the bustling but joyful labor scene at the harbor. Everything, from objects to phenomena, becomes more animated, with life similar to human existence.

Exercise 2 (page 58, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

This passage does not use personification.

+ It is simply a descriptive passage, telling a plain story.

+ It does not evoke a lively, close connection between people and the world around them.

Exercise 3 (page 58, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

The naming of objects is distinct:

Aunt Straw Broom (addressed like a person): The broom
Prettiest (human-like description): Most beautiful
Golden dress (a human-like outfit): Made from golden straw
Her dress (human attire): Broom handle
Wrapped around her body (human description): Wound tightly into coils
- Version 1 is more vivid and engaging with the use of personification, suitable for descriptive writing.

- Version 2 is objective and factual, fitting for informative texts.

Exercise 4 (page 59, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

a. Addressing objects like people (O mountain) to express emotions and thoughts.

-> Treating objects as if they were wise friends, revealing one’s emotions and inner thoughts.

b. Using terms that describe human actions, such as “bustling”, “quarreling”, “thin and weak”, “stumbling in the mud” to describe the attributes of objects.

-> Depicts a vivid picture of animal life, almost as if it were human life.

c. Using human-like actions and qualities (brooding, watching, hesitating, running back) to describe the activities of objects (trees, water).

-> The world of plants and objects seems full of life, just like the human world.

d. The xà nu tree is personified to show the resilience and undying spirit of both people and nature here.

Exercise 5 (page 59, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Lady Autumn gently makes room for her mischievous younger sister, Winter. The Sun slowly slips under its warm blanket for a long rest. For this reason, the clouds change to soft gray, and the playful winds grow calmer, returning to diligently replace the old, withered leaves on the trees.

Part I: WHAT IS PERSONIFICATION?

Answer to Question 1 (page 56, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Identify the personification in the following verse:

The sky

Wears dark armor

And marches to battle

Countless sugarcane trees

Wave their swords

Ants

March along the path

(Tran Dang Khoa)

Answer:

- Personification:

+ The sky wears dark armor and marches into battle

+ Countless sugarcane trees wave their swords

+ Ants march along the path

- The word “Mr.” is commonly used to address people, but here it is used to address the sky.

- The actions of wearing armor and going to battle are human activities, but they are used to describe the sky before a rainstorm.

- “Waving swords” is used to describe sugarcane, and “marching” is used to describe ants.

Answer to Question 2 (page 56, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Compare the following description with Tran Dang Khoa’s verse. What makes Khoa’s description more unique?

- The sky is full of dark clouds.

- Countless sugarcane trees bend, their leaves fluttering in the wind.

- Ants crawl along the path.

Answer:

Compared to the description above, Tran Dang Khoa’s verse stands out because it creates vivid images, bringing objects and phenomena closer to human experiences.

Part II: TYPES OF PERSONIFICATION

Answer to Question 1 (page 57, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Which objects are personified in the following sentences?

a) Since then, Grandpa Mouth, Aunt Ear, Uncle Eye, Cousin Leg, and Cousin Hand have lived together like close friends, each doing their part without conflict.

(Mouth, Ear, Eye, Leg, Hand)

b) The bamboo stick, the bamboo spear, fought against the enemy’s steel. The bamboo charged at the tanks and artillery. The bamboo defended the village, the country, the thatched houses, and the ripening rice fields.

(New Steel)

c) Ox, I tell you, Ox,

Go to the field, plow for me.

(Folk Song)

Answer to Question 2 (page 57, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Using the bolded words, explain how each object is personified in the sentences above.

Answer:

1. The personified objects are:

- Sentence a: Mouth, Ear, Eye, Leg, Hand

- Sentence b: Bamboo

- Sentence c: Ox

2. How these objects are personified:

- In sentence a: Objects are referred to with human terms (Grandpa, Aunt, Uncle, Cousin)

- In sentence b: Words denoting human activities or characteristics (fight, charge, defend) are used to describe bamboo.

- In sentence c: The object is directly addressed as if speaking to a person (Ox, I tell you).

Part III: EXERCISES

Answer to Question 1 (page 58, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Identify the personification in the following passage and explain its effect:

The harbor is always lively. The mother ship and baby ship are docked along the water. Big trucks and small trucks bustle about loading and unloading cargo. Everything is busy.

(Phong Thu)

Solution:

The personification in the passage is shown through terms like:

- The harbor is always lively. The mother ship and baby ship are docked along the water. Big trucks and small trucks bustle about loading and unloading cargo. Everything is busy.

- The personification makes the scene at the harbor more vivid and lively, helping readers imagine the bustling, busy atmosphere of the ships and trucks.

Answer to Question 2 (page 58, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Compare the description in the passage above with the one below:

The harbor is always full of ships and trucks. Big and small ships are docked along the water. Large and small trucks load and unload cargo. Everything is constantly moving.

Solution:

- This passage does not use personification:

+ It is purely a descriptive passage, recounting facts without any lively imagery.

+ It does not create a close, animated connection between humans and the world of objects.

- The first passage is much more engaging due to its use of personification, making the scene come alive.

Answer to Question 3 (page 58, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

What is the difference between the two writing styles? Which should be used for expressive writing and which for informative writing?

- Style 1:

Among the broom family, the little Straw Broom is the prettiest. She has a golden dress that no one can match. Her clothes are made of golden rice straw, tightly braided and wound around her body like a knitted sweater.

(Vu Duy Thong)

- Style 2:

Among the types of brooms, the straw broom is the most beautiful. It is braided from golden rice straw. The broom is tightly woven into strands and coiled.

Solution:

The difference between the two styles:

- Style 1: Uses personification by referring to the broom as a little girl, “She” and “her.”

- Style 2: Does not use personification.

-> Style 1 is more suitable for expressive writing, while Style 2 is better for informative writing.

Answer to Question 4 (page 59, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Explain how personification is used in each of the following excerpts and its effect:

a) High mountains, oh mountains,

Mountains block the sun, and I cannot see my lover!

(Folk Song)

b) The water is full, and with the new water, crabs and fish scurry about, while countless birds—herons, storks, vultures, cocks, plovers—fly to the new water to hunt for food. All day, they argue over a single shrimp, while some herons, thin and weak, wade through the muddy waters, still unable to catch anything.

(To Hoai)

c) Along the river, the ancient trees stand in powerful poses, silently gazing at the water. The boat struggles against the current, as if trying to escape back to Hoa Phuoc.

(Vo Quang)

d) In the xà nu forest, thousands of trees, all of them wounded. Some trees are cut halfway through their trunks, falling down like a storm. At the wound, sap oozes out, fragrant and sparkling in the fierce sun, then slowly turns dark and thick, forming large clots of blood.

Solution:

a) The phrase “Oh mountains” is a direct address, speaking to the mountains as if they were a person.

-> It turns the mountain into a confidant, expressing deep emotions and personal thoughts.

b) Terms like “scurry”, “argue”, and “thin and weak” are used to describe the activities and characteristics of animals as if they were human.

-> This creates a vivid portrayal of the animals’ lives, almost as lively as humans.

c) Descriptions like “standing in powerful poses” and “struggling against the current” personify nature, bringing trees and boats to life.

-> This gives trees and objects a sense of vitality, as though they have human-like qualities.

d) Descriptions such as “wounded”, “blood clots”, and “struggling” are used to convey human-like qualities to the trees.

-> The xà nu tree is personified to reflect its strength and unyielding spirit, showing resilience like a human hero.

Answer to Question 5 (page 59, Literature 6, Volume 2 textbook):

Write a short descriptive paragraph of your choice, using personification.

Solution:

In the garden, the flowers are in full bloom, each trying to outshine the other. The rosebuds smile, their petals curling softly. The marigolds stretch tall, dressed in their red, yellow, and purple gowns. Even the white lilies appear to whisper, “I bring happiness to all who see me.”

I. What is Personification?

Question 1: Identify the personification:

- The sky – wearing dark armor – goes to war

- Sugarcane trees – wielding swords

- Ants – marching along

Question 2: The description in the verse above is more effective because it makes the objects seem to perform human actions, creating a vivid sense of life. Additionally, it conveys the author's emotions through the verse.

II. Types of Personification:

Question 1: Which objects are personified?

a. Mouth, Ear, Eye, Leg, Hand.

b. Bamboo stick, bamboo spear, bamboo.

c. Ox.

Question 2: How are these objects personified?

a. Using human terms to address objects.

b. Using words that describe human activities or traits to describe the activities or traits of objects.

c. Speaking to or addressing the objects as if they were people.

III. EXERCISES:

Question 1: Identify and explain the effect of the personification:

- Mother ship, baby ship, brother truck, sister truck, all are busy.

=> It evokes a sense of bustling, energetic work at the port, as if the ships and trucks were human workers.

Question 2: Compare the expression in the passage above with the one below:

Method 1: Uses personification: (exercise 1)

Expresses deep emotion and pride from the perspective of the worker.

Method 2: Does not use personification (exercise 2)

Purely observational and factual, without emotional involvement.

Question 3:

*The difference between the two writing styles:

Method 1: Uses personification by calling the broom a little girl named “Straw Broom.”

Method 2: Does not use personification.

*Choose Method 1 for expressive writing, and Method 2 for informative writing.

Question 4: Personification and its effects:

a. Talking to the mountain as if it were a person.

Effect: Reveals the speaker’s feelings of longing to see their loved one.

b. Using human activities and traits to describe an animal’s behavior.

Effect: Makes the narrative more interesting, dynamic, and engaging.

c. Using human qualities to describe plants and objects.

Effect: Creates a fresh, engaging image for the reader.

d. Using human traits to describe the actions of plants or objects.

Effect: Evokes feelings of admiration and sorrow, enhancing the reader's emotional connection to the scene.

Question 5: Write a short paragraph using personification.

- “Miss Pencil,” “Mr. Ruler,” how beautiful you both are!

- “Miss Pencil” wears a golden-red dress, while “Mr. Ruler” dons a blue coat.

- Both help me so much: Miss Pencil helps me draw beautiful pictures in art class, and Mr. Ruler helps me draw perfect straight lines in math class.

- I treasure both of them dearly.