Question

Is this a metaphor or personification? "...my heart is dancing!"

Answer 1

Hmm...I guess it could be seen as both really, but my first impression was metaphor.

Answer 2

for me I think it's personification because your not comparing things...?

Answer 3

Well, lets be clear on what the terms are...

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/metaphor
met·a·phor
[met-uh-fawr, -fer]
noun
1. a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.” Compare mixed metaphor, simile ( def 1 ).
2. something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/personification
per·son·i·fi·ca·tion
[per-son-uh-fi-key-shuhn]
noun
1. the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.
2. the representation of a thing or abstraction in the form of a person, as in art.
3. the person or thing embodying a quality or the like; an embodiment or incarnation: He is the personification of tact.
4. an imaginary person or creature conceived or figured to represent a thing or abstraction.
5. the act of attributing human qualities to an animal, object, or abstraction; the act of personifying: The author's personification of the farm animals made for an enchanting children's book.

If you look at that, half of personification could be a metaphor. Another hard one like this would be, " Well there goes my money walking out the door!" The defining part, to me, is if you can consider dancing or walking as "human nature or character," "the form of a person," or "human qualities." Id dancing really only a human thing and therefore a quality of being human? Or is this just applying an activity to something that can not really do that activity?

Answer 4

I think my greatest confusion comes from the fact that the heart is a part of the human. So in other words, you are attaching a human characteristic to a human thing. Also, it is not being used as a comparison of two things. It is making the heart into something with human characteristics, which it already has. So if metaphor is a choice of answers and personification is not, then it is correctly labeled a metaphor? Or are the answer choices just wrong?

Answer 5

Let your fingers do the walking. To speak with one's fists. These are things neither the fingers nor fists can do. Also, a finger or fist is not a whole person.

Answer 6

Great examples! That helps, but I am still confused. So then you are saying it is a metaphor as opposed to personification? Thanks so much for your help!

Answer 7

I was trying to nudge towards personification... What Data_LG2 said is a huge part of it too.

Here was a great explanation as to why by someone else:

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/9181-metaphor-personification.html

A fist like a hammer is a metaphor. Fingers like legs would be a metaphor, but imply they are very thick or strong. Let your fingers do the walking and to speak with one's fists are personifications because they are not A like B and they add some human quality, even though it is to a human part.

Answer 8

Oh, and you can mix them together:

"His anger was like a fist that was talking to me!" The like comparison is a metaphor between the anger and the action of the fist, but the action of the fist is a personification.

Answer 9

I thought that when you used like or as it was simile. Now I am really confused.

Answer 10

Argh. I forgot about simile! You are NOT confused on that one!

I looked it up to be clear and metaphor is basically a simile without the work like! "All the world's a stage" is a metaphor but "The world is like a stage" is a simile! Both are types of this as that comparisons, but the metaphor says this IS that and the simile says this is LIKE that.

Sorry about my confusing you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simile

Answer 11

Found a well done reference:
http://literarydevices.net/personification/
vs.
http://literarydevices.net/metaphor/

Answer 12

OK, I am going with personification. I appreciate your input. Thanks so much!

Answer 13

np. And sorry again about the bit of confusion in the middle!