MTEL Communication Literacy Skills : Writing Practice Test

Which example shows the correct capitalization of personification?

1. Reliable nature brought her promised spring

2. Reliable Nature brought her promised spring

3. Bring on melancholy in his sad might

4. Bring on Melancholy in her sad might

The correct answer is: Reliable Nature brought her promised spring

The example that demonstrates correct capitalization of personification is the one that uses "Nature" as a proper noun. In literature, personification involves attributing human characteristics to non-human entities, which often leads to those entities being treated like proper nouns when they embody significant concepts, emotions, or forces. The term "Nature" in this context exemplifies a universal force that is often personified in literature, thus deserving capitalization to denote its status as a significant idea. In contrast, the other options either leave "nature" in lowercase, which is not appropriate if it is intended to represent the overarching concept akin to a character, or they present "melancholy" in lowercase when personifying it. Typically, emotions or abstract concepts like "Melancholy" can also be capitalized when they are invoked as personified entities in creative writing. However, in the case of the correct choice, "Nature" is the focal subject and is properly capitalized, indicating its role as an important character in the sentence.