Which term involves giving human traits to nonliving things?

• A. Hyperbole
• B. Personification
• C. Diction
• D. Foreshadowing

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is personification, a literary device in which something nonhuman is given human qualities, actions, or emotions. This technique brings inanimate things to life on the page and helps readers connect with the scene or mood more vividly. For example, saying “the wind whispered through the trees” treats the wind as if it can speak, which gives the natural scene a human-like presence.

Hyperbole, by contrast, uses deliberate exaggeration for emphasis, not the attribution of human traits to objects. Diction focuses on word choice and style rather than animating objects. Foreshadowing is about hinting at future events in the story.