Which device gives human qualities to non-human things or ideas?

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

Answer: (A)

Giving human qualities to non-human things or ideas is personification. It makes objects or abstract concepts feel alive by attributing thoughts, feelings, or actions that humans have. This helps readers relate more deeply and visualize scenes more vividly. For example, “The wind whispered through the trees” uses a human action to describe wind. A metaphor directly equates two things (“The world is a stage”) to create meaning, but it doesn’t necessarily imply human traits. A simile compares using like or as (“brave as a lion”), which signals a comparison rather than giving human abilities to the non-human subject. Hyperbole exaggerates for emphasis (“I’m so tired I could sleep for a thousand years”) without attributing human qualities to non-human things.