Which lines in this excerpt from “Flight” by John Steinbeck contain personification?
Personification in “Flight” by John Steinbeck
In the excerpt from “Flight” by John Steinbeck, there are several instances of personification where human characteristics are given to non-human things.
The farm buildings huddled like the clinging aphids on the mountain skirts, crouched low to the ground as though the wind might blow them into the sea. This line compares the farm buildings to living creatures, using the verb "huddled" to describe their action.
Five-fingered ferns hung over the water and dropped spray from their fingertips. Here, the ferns are given human-like fingers and the action of dropping spray is attributed to them.
The high mountain wind coasted sighing through the pass and whistled on the edges of the big blocks of broken granite. The wind is personified by the act of sighing, which is typically associated with humans expressing emotion.
A scar of green grass cut across the flat. This line gives the grass the human characteristic of being able to cut, which is a deliberate action performed by living beings.
Pepe had dropped his reins on the horn, leaving direction to the horse. While this line does not contain direct personification, it shows the attribution of human-like actions to animals, indicating a level of anthropomorphism.
Overall, the use of personification in this excerpt adds depth to the description of the landscape and creates a vivid image in the reader's mind.
Which lines in this excerpt from “Flight” by John Steinbeck contain personification?
The lines containing personification in the excerpt are:
- The farm buildings huddled like the clinging aphids on the mountain skirts ...
- Five-fingered ferns hung over the water and dropped spray from their fingertips ...
- The high mountain wind coasted sighing through the pass ...
- A scar of green grass cut across the flat ...
- Pepe had dropped his reins on the horn, leaving direction to the horse.