Personification

Personification is treating abstractions or inanimate objects as human, that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings. Personification is a specific kind of Metaphor.

In the following poem, a mountain (Kearsarge North) and the sun are described as though they are a man and woman in love.

Sunset of Kearsarge North
As Kearsarge kissed the evening sun,
She softly stroked his rugged brow,
Then blushed a vibrant crimson hue
Before she fled into the west.
(Copyright 2008 by Douglas Twitchell)

The reader understands that the mountain is not really kissing the sun, and that the sun is not really blushing.

See Also
Metaphor
Simile

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