Definition
Personification gives human traits, actions, or feelings to nonhuman things such as objects, animals, or abstract ideas. It helps readers connect emotionally to the world of the story.
Example
The wind clawed at the shutters suggests hostility and urgency in weather that cannot literally have hands.
Related terms
Common mistakes
- Personifying everything so the world feels cartoonish instead of purposeful.
- Using personification that clashes with the story's realistic tone.