What literary device is used when giving human qualities to an animal, object, or idea?

Study for the English 6th Grade SOL Test. Study with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What literary device is used when giving human qualities to an animal, object, or idea?

Explanation:
Giving human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas is personification. This device makes nonhuman things act, feel, or speak like people, which helps create vivid imagery and mood. For example, “The wind whispered through the trees” or “The clock marched on” assigns human actions to nature or time, making them feel alive to the reader. Metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things (Time is a thief). Allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, or event. Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration for emphasis (I’m starving). These distinctions show why the human-quality attribution described here fits personification best.

Giving human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas is personification. This device makes nonhuman things act, feel, or speak like people, which helps create vivid imagery and mood. For example, “The wind whispered through the trees” or “The clock marched on” assigns human actions to nature or time, making them feel alive to the reader.

Metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things (Time is a thief). Allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, or event. Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration for emphasis (I’m starving). These distinctions show why the human-quality attribution described here fits personification best.

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