Comprehension Toolkit Personification Comprehension Toolkit Comprehension means understanding. The best way to understand a text is to ask yourself questions as you read it. The answers to some questions are easy to find, while the answers to others are more difficult to work out. Comprehension Toolkit Figurative language moves away from the straightforward, literal meaning of words. It encourages readers to form pictures in their minds. It can add interest, energy and even rhythm to writing. Comprehension Toolkit Personification is like metaphor, except that it gives human qualities to something that isn’t human. The sun smiled down at us. Giving the sun the human quality of being able to smile brings it to life and makes it seem friendly. Comprehension Toolkit What other human qualities could you give to something? Being able to speak? Being able to laugh? What is fear being compared to in this sentence? With each approaching footstep, fear tightened its grip around Amy’s heart. Fear is being compared to a fist, squeezing Amy’s heart. Why is this figure of speech effective? It emphasises how powerful fear is and how threatened Amy feels. Comprehension Toolkit What are the trees being compared to in this sentence? The palm trees greeted each other, waving in the morning breeze. The trees are being compared to people, waving to each other in greeting. Why is this figure of speech effective? It makes the trees seem part of a community. This adds interest and energy to the text. Comprehension Toolkit