English · Class 9

Active learning ideas

Figurative Language: Personification and Hyperbole

Active learning works well for figurative language because students need to see, hear, and practise these devices in context. By engaging in hunts, role plays, and writing tasks, students internalise the difference between human-like qualities and exaggerated claims, making abstract concepts tangible and memorable.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• CBSE: Literary Devices - Class 9

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Trading Cards
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Personification Hunt

Provide excerpts from poems like those by Tagore. Pairs underline personification examples, note the human trait given, and explain its effect on imagery. Pairs share one strong example with the class for collective analysis.

Differentiate between personification and anthropomorphism, providing examples.

Facilitation Tip

During Personification Hunt, circulate with sentence strips and ask pairs to justify why a phrase is personification, not anthropomorphism.

What to look for

Provide students with two short passages. Ask them to identify one example of personification and one of hyperbole, writing them down. Then, ask them to explain in one sentence the effect of each identified figure of speech.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Trading Cards
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Hyperbole Charades

Groups prepare and act out hyperbolic statements from texts, such as 'mountains of homework'. Other groups guess the exaggeration and discuss its purpose for humour or emphasis. Rotate roles for multiple rounds.

Analyze how hyperbole is used to create emphasis or humor in a text.

Facilitation Tip

In Hyperbole Charades, ensure each group receives clear exaggeration cards and enforces turn-taking to keep the game moving.

What to look for

Present students with a list of sentences. Ask them to label each sentence as containing 'Personification', 'Hyperbole', or 'Neither'. For sentences with figurative language, they should briefly explain why.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Trading Cards
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Device Creation Relay

Line up students. First student writes a personification sentence on the board; next adds hyperbole. Continue until all contribute, then analyse as a class how devices enhance the passage.

Construct sentences that effectively use personification to bring inanimate objects to life.

Facilitation Tip

For Device Creation Relay, give each team a theme like ‘a Mumbai monsoon’ so students build examples sequentially and build on each other’s ideas.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How might a poet use personification to describe a monsoon storm in Kerala?' Encourage students to share their ideas, focusing on giving human actions or emotions to the storm and its elements.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Trading Cards
• 40 min · Individual

Individual: Rewrite Challenge

Students rewrite a plain prose paragraph using one personification and one hyperbole. They self-assess for effect before sharing select pieces in a gallery walk.

Differentiate between personification and anthropomorphism, providing examples.

Facilitation Tip

During the Rewrite Challenge, insist students keep the original meaning intact while inserting their chosen device precisely.

What to look for

Provide students with two short passages. Ask them to identify one example of personification and one of hyperbole, writing them down. Then, ask them to explain in one sentence the effect of each identified figure of speech.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should begin by modelling how to read sentences aloud, stressing the human traits or exaggerated scale. Avoid lecturing on definitions; instead, use contrasting examples so students notice patterns. Research shows that when students explain their choices aloud, their understanding deepens and misconceptions reduce.

Successful learning looks like students confidently distinguishing personification from anthropomorphism, using hyperbole intentionally for effect, and explaining how these devices shape meaning and tone. They should also transfer this understanding to their own writing with clarity.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Personification Hunt, watch for students labelling any talking animal as personification.

  Use the hunt to compare two similar sentences: one with a talking animal (anthropomorphism) and one with a river sighing (personification), then guide students to notice the difference in human traits given.

• During Hyperbole Charades, watch for students calling all exaggerated statements ‘lies’.

  After charades, hold a three-sentence discussion: one hyperbole, one lie, and one truth, then ask students to categorise and justify their choices in groups.

• During Device Creation Relay, watch for students creating metaphors and calling them personification.

  At the relay station, provide a mini-chart with ‘Humanises non-human’ vs ‘Compares directly’ and ask teams to classify their examples before adding to the board.

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Methods used in this brief

• Trading Cards