Literary term
Personification
Giving human qualities, feelings or actions to something that is not human.
What it means
Personification gives human qualities, actions or emotions to something that is not human, such as an object, an animal, an idea or a force of nature. When a writer describes the wind as whispering or a city as weary, the non-human thing feels alive and easier to relate to. The writer often slips in a mood or a judgement too.
It is closely linked to metaphor, because the human quality is transferred rather than literally true. It appears constantly in poetry, prose and persuasive writing.
Why it matters in the exam
In the reading paper, examiners expect you to spot and unpick personification, especially in descriptions of weather, landscape or setting. Naming it earns little; you gain marks by explaining the feeling it creates and why the writer wanted it. In your own descriptive and narrative writing, a well-chosen example lifts a scene and shows real control of language.
Example
"The old gate groaned and complained each time it was pushed open, as if it resented being disturbed" makes a lifeless object seem tired, stubborn and unwilling.
How to use it
When you find personification, identify the human quality being applied. Then ask what mood or attitude it creates towards the thing described. Write about that effect rather than simply labelling the device.
In your own writing, use it sparingly and precisely. One vivid image of a sulking sky does more than a paragraph of strained comparisons that tire the reader.
Knowing the term is the first step. In a paid one-hour trial, a teacher helps your child use "Personification" accurately in an answer.