Literature Glossary

Don’t be an oxymoron. Know your literary terms.

Over 200 literary terms, Shmooped to perfection.

Personification

Definition:

Personification is figurative language that gives human traits (qualities, feelings, action, or characteristics) to animals, non-living objects, or ideas (like things, colors, qualities, even abstract ideals).

An example? Gee, off the top of our heads…

The blue screen of death stared back at Shmoop with a mocking gaze.

Knock on wood that never happens.