Big News!

We have changed the dates for the next cohort. Cohort 13 will now run from October 7 to November 11.

And we are offering our first-ever discount for the Bootcamp. You can enroll today for $3995 $2495. This discount expires on August 30.

If you have any questions, shoot us an email at support@writeofpassage.com.

Writing Examples

Hey writers,

Welcome back to Writing Examples. Last week, you learned about Monsieur Meursault's mommy issues. This week, explore the power of personification and how the sea can become sentient.

What If the Sea Could Hug?

“The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. 

The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.”

– Kate Chopin, The Awakening
 

Ah… the sea. How can something so vast and endless feel so personal?

That’s the potency of personification. The sea comes alive when Chopin describes it like a person. The sea has a voice (“whispering,” “clamoring,” “murmuring,” “speaks to the soul”). The sea has arms and hands (“the touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.”) — the sea can hug! The sea even has a soul, inviting yours to “wander for a spell in abysses of solitude.”

The sea isn’t just a setting; it’s a character. By personifying the sea, Chopin uses the natural world to underscore her protagonist Edna’s internal conflicts and desires. When the sea invites her soul to wander, it mirrors the longing for freedom that Edna holds in her heart. When the sea touches Edna and embraces her body, we come to understand Edna’s need for comfort in her existential exploration of identity. We learn about Edna’s physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation by learning about her friend, the sea.

Personification is a powerful tool when used purposefully. It transforms objects into characters and makes the mundane memorable. The sea isn’t just a body of water; its presence is an evocative, almost mystical experience. 

Personification blurs the boundaries between the animate and inanimate.

Make it sigh and laugh. Make it dance. Make it human. Animate the motionless and make the the voiceless speak. Give the world a heartbeat. Add some soul: use personification to add depth to the objects you describe.

Thank you for reading Writing Examples. This week, see how personification can turn settings into characters and give your writing a heartbeat.

Happy writing,

The Write of Passage Team