Which literary device involves non-humans acting like humans?

Study for the PSSA English Language Arts (ELA) – Grade 4 Test. Prepare with multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations. Ensure success in your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which literary device involves non-humans acting like humans?

Explanation:
The correct answer is personification. This literary device gives human traits, emotions, or actions to non-human entities, allowing them to behave or be described in a way that makes them relatable or evokes empathy from the reader. For example, when a story describes the wind as "whispering" through the trees, it helps readers connect with the scene on a more personal level, as if the wind is engaging in a gentle conversation. In contrast, while allegory tells a story with a deeper meaning, often using symbols, it does not specifically focus on human-like characteristics of non-humans. Metaphors compare two unlike things directly, while similes make a comparison using "like" or "as." Both metaphors and similes do not imply any human characteristics at all, making them different from personification.

The correct answer is personification. This literary device gives human traits, emotions, or actions to non-human entities, allowing them to behave or be described in a way that makes them relatable or evokes empathy from the reader. For example, when a story describes the wind as "whispering" through the trees, it helps readers connect with the scene on a more personal level, as if the wind is engaging in a gentle conversation.

In contrast, while allegory tells a story with a deeper meaning, often using symbols, it does not specifically focus on human-like characteristics of non-humans. Metaphors compare two unlike things directly, while similes make a comparison using "like" or "as." Both metaphors and similes do not imply any human characteristics at all, making them different from personification.

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