Allegory (аллегория) and Personification (олицетворение)

What is an allegory?

How do allegories work?

Why allegories work?

Allegory is a device by which the names of objects or characters of a story are used in figurative sense, representing some more general things, good or bad qualities.
This is often found in fables (басни) and parables (притчи).
It is also a typical feature of proverbs, which contain generalizations ( express some general moral truths): All is not gold that glitters (= impressive words or people are not always really so good as they seem);
Every cloud has a silver lining (=even in bad situation we may find positive elements)

The meaning of the allegory is derived from the words Greek «allegoria», which means «Novography» (Иносказание).
In the history of literature there is a view that the first this method was invented and first applied by Aesop, an ancient Basnopian, and therefore sometimes such a reception is called «Aesopian language».

An allegory is a story within a story. It has a “surface story” and another story hidden underneath. For example, the surface story might be about two neighbors throwing rocks at each other’s homes, but the hidden story would be about war between countries. Some allegories are very subtle, while others (like the rock-throwing example) can be more obvious.
In most allegories, the hidden story has something to do with politics, religion, or morality — complex subjects that are difficult to understand directly. Many authors find it easier to think through these issues by translating them into allegories, which are easier to understand (and more fun to read) than dense philosophical arguments.
The Importance of Allegory
Allegories deliver difficult messages in easy-to-read stories. That makes them extremely useful and expressive tools. So for centuries, human beings have used allegories to say things they couldn’t say any other way.

There is no rose without a thorn (=there are always disadvantages in the choice that we make)
Make the hay while the sun shines(=hurry to achieve your aim while there is a suitable situation). Коси сено, пока солнце светит. Куй железо, пока горячо.
“Make hay while the sun shines.” ... When conditions are perfect to get something done, we can say, “It's a good idea to make hay while the sun shines.” In other words, you are taking advantage of a good situation or of good conditions. You are making the most of your opportunities.

An allegory, in short, is not just another word for a metaphor. In essence, it’s a form of fiction that represents immaterial things as images. It calls attention to what it’s doing, typically by giving those images overtly thematic labels, like presenting the Seven Deadly Sins as a procession of people named Lust, Sloth, Pride, and the rest.
Allegory is a story poem that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
The allegory of hope is the anchor;
allegory of freedom - broken chains;
The white dove is an allegory of world peace.
The Dream - Kingdom of Morpheus.
Death is the Hug of Hades.
Impregnation is Fort Knox.
Justice is Femida (Themis - goddess of justice)

The beauty of literature is that it’s jam-packed with rhetorical devices. An author never needs to bluntly state their intended moral. Rather, they can express it through moving scenes, jarring dialogue, and inventive characters. Let’s take a look at a few great examples of allegory in literature.
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a political allegory pertaining to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of communism. It outlines the different classes in society through the depiction of animals.
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel is an allegory for the monumental pain and suffering experienced by victims of the Holocaust
Скотный двор

Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser is a moral allegory where each character represents a virtue or a vice. Specifically, the Red-Cross Knight represents holiness, Lady Una stands for goodness and the one true faith, Una's parents symbolize the human race, and the dragon represents evil.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is a religious allegory. In it, we find that Aslan the lion represents Christ or God, the White Witch represents evil, and Edmund represents Judas as the betrayer.

Allegory in Movies
In Avatar, Pandora Woods represents the Amazon rainforest, a sanctuary from industry and development, which has no regard for nature but to pillage it for its bankable resources.

What is the purpose of using allegory?

As a subtype of allegory we distinguish Personification (олицетворение), by which human qualities are ascribed to inanimate objects, phenomena or animals:
Personification is a variety of metaphor, attributing human properties to lifeless objects, mostly to abstract notions such as thoughts, intentions, emotions, seasons of the year, or animals.
+Personification is often represented grammatically by the choice of masculine or feminine pronouns for the names of inanimate objects, or by capitalization of these words.

Why do writers use personification ?
The purpose of this figurative language is to bring inanimate things to life to better explain them. Writers often use personification to make their writing more vivid and to have the reader understand the object or animal in a better way.
In poetry, fables personification is often represented grammatically by choice of masculine or feminine pronouns for the names of animals, inamimate objects or forces of nature.

Personification is giving human traits (qualities, feelings, actions, or characteristics) to non-living objects (things, colors, qualities, ideas)

Personification in Poetry and Books
There are many examples of personification in literature. The first example is from Carl Sandburg's "The Fog." In this poem, fog is given the human ability to sit and look.
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor(гавань) and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
The following example is from James Stephens' "Check". In this example, night is given the human qualities of creeping and being silent.
The night was creeping on the ground!
She crept and did not make a sound.

Personification in Advertising
Personification is commonly used in advertising. You will see examples both in print and in television commercials. The following are some examples.
Oreo: Milk's favorite cookie - Oreo
Nothing hugs like Huggies - Huggies diapers
The car that cares - Kia

Task № 1.
1)The device by which the names of objects or characters of a story are used in figurative sense, representing some more general things, good or bad qualities is a
a)Allegory
b)Personification
2) In the history of literature the first basnopian who applied allegory was Aesop.
3) Aesopian language» is a
a) Special type of cryptographic or allegorical writing used in literature, criticism, and journalism in order to circumvent censorship when such literary activity is denied freedom of expression.
b) a particular style of poetry used in ancient times

4) Giving human traits (qualities, feelings, actions, or characteristics) to non-living objects (things, colors, qualities, ideas) is a
a)Personification
b)Allegory
c)Aesopian language.
5) «All is not gold that glitters» is an example of
a)Allegory
b) Personification
6) In what spheres are allegories commonly used? (several variants are possible).
Politics
Religion
morality
fables (басни)
parables (притчи).

Find the correct translation of the allegory.
1 There is no rose without a thorn
2 Make the hay while the sun shines
3 Every cloud has a silver lining
4 All is not gold that glitters
1 Куй железо, пока горячо
2 Нет розы без шипов
3 Не все то золото, что блестит
4 Нет худа без добра
7) Lightning danced across the sky is an example of
personification(олицетворение)
Allegory(аллегория)

Give the correct translation of the personification.
The wind howled in the night.
Lightning danced across the sky.
Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.
The avalanche devoured anything standing in its way.
My house is a friend who protects me.
The moon played hide and seek with the clouds.
The camera loves her since she is so pretty.
The stairs groaned as we walked on them.
В ночи завывал ветер
В небе плясали молнии
Рита услышала как последний кусок пирога звал ее
Лавина поглотила все , что стояло на ее пути.
Мой дом – это друг, который меня защищает.
Луна играла в прятки с облаками
Камера любит ее за то, что она такая красивая
Лестница скрипела, когда мы шли по ней.