1. "The Waking" by Theodore Roethke
This poem isn't entirely humorous, but it has a playful and lighthearted tone. It personifies the "world" as a "feather" and the "ocean" as a "wave," creating a sense of gentle absurdity.
Example:
> I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
> I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
> I learn by going where I have to go.
> The world is a feather, the ocean a wave.
> I'm learning to take what comes, no matter how strange.
2. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
While this poem is often considered a serious and introspective piece, it uses subtle personification to create a sense of humorous detachment. For example, the "evening" is personified as "spread out against the sky," suggesting a sense of boredom and apathy.
Example:
> Let us go then, you and I,
> When the evening is spread out against the sky
> Like a patient etherized upon a table;
> Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
> The muttering retreats...
3. "The Tiger" by William Blake
This poem is a classic example of personification, but it's also humorous in its portrayal of the tiger as a powerful and terrifying creature with a playful side. The tiger's "burning bright" is both awe-inspiring and slightly ridiculous, suggesting a childlike wonder.
Example:
> Burning bright,
> The forests of the night;
> What immortal hand or eye,
> Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
4. "Ode to a Grecian Urn" by John Keats
While this poem is generally considered a romantic masterpiece, it also has elements of humor through its use of personification. The urn is personified as a "silent form" and "cold pastoral," suggesting an odd combination of beauty and lifelessness.
Example:
> "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
> Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
> Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,
> Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:"
5. "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
This poem is dark and suspenseful, but it also has a touch of humor through its personification of the raven. The raven is presented as a wise and ominous creature, but its only response is a repetitive "Nevermore," which becomes increasingly absurd and funny.
Example:
> Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
> Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
> While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
> As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
> “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
> Only this and nothing more.”
Tips for Finding Funny Personification in Poetry:
* Look for unlikely or absurd comparisons: For example, comparing a city to a giant's hand or a cloud to a giant's head.
* Pay attention to the tone of the poem: A playful or whimsical tone often indicates humorous personification.
* Consider the effect of the personification: Does it create a sense of absurdity, wonder, or even satire?
By focusing on these aspects, you can discover the funny and unexpected ways that poets use personification to create humor and engage readers.