OBS. 3.—The common name of a thing or quality personified, often becomes proper; our conception of the object being changed by the figure of speech: as, "My power," said Reason, "is to advise, not to compel."—Johnson. "Fair Peace her olive branch extends." For such a word, the form of parsing should be like this: "Peace is a common noun, personified proper; of the third person, singular number, feminine gender, and nominative case." Here the construction of the word as a proper noun, and of the feminine gender, is the result of the personification, and contrary to the literal usage.
MODIFICATIONS.
Nouns have modifications of four kinds; namely, Persons, Numbers,
Genders, and Cases.
PERSONS.
Persons, in grammar, are modifications that distinguish the speaker, the hearer, and the person or thing merely spoken of.
There are three persons; the first, the second, and the third.
The first person is that which denotes the speaker or writer; as, "I
Paul have written it."
The second person is that which denotes the hearer, or the person addressed; as, "Robert, who did this?"
The third person is that which denotes the person or thing merely spoken of; as, "James loves his book."