What term means giving human qualities to non-human things?

What term means giving human qualities to non-human things?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Hyperbole
• C. Personification
• D. Simile

Answer: (C)

Giving human qualities to non-human things is personification. This device lets objects, animals, or ideas feel or act as if they could think, speak, or show emotions like a person. For example, “The wind whispered through the leaves” gives the wind a human action, and “The sun smiled down on us” attributes a friendly human expression to the sun. These details help readers connect emotionally with the scene. A metaphor makes one thing equal to another, as in “Time is a thief,” which states an idea about time without giving it human traits. A simile uses like or as to compare, such as “bright as the sun,” which still keeps the thing being described as itself rather than giving it human actions. Hyperbole involves exaggerated statements for effect, like “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” and isn’t about assigning human characteristics.

Giving human qualities to non-human things is personification. This device lets objects, animals, or ideas feel or act as if they could think, speak, or show emotions like a person. For example, “The wind whispered through the leaves” gives the wind a human action, and “The sun smiled down on us” attributes a friendly human expression to the sun. These details help readers connect emotionally with the scene.

A metaphor makes one thing equal to another, as in “Time is a thief,” which states an idea about time without giving it human traits. A simile uses like or as to compare, such as “bright as the sun,” which still keeps the thing being described as itself rather than giving it human actions. Hyperbole involves exaggerated statements for effect, like “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” and isn’t about assigning human characteristics.