Question

Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence:
"The wind whispered through the trees."

• A. Simile
• B. Metaphor
• C. Personification
• D. Hyperbole

Hint:

Look closely at the verb attached to the non-human subject and ask: can only a living being literally do this action? If yes, that points to a specific figure of speech, separate from comparisons that use like or as, or statements that directly equate two different things.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The given sentence: "The wind whispered through the trees."
This sentence is an example of personification.

In personification, human qualities are attributed to non-human entities or inanimate objects. Here, the action of "whispering" is a human ability, which is being attributed to "the wind." This gives the wind a human-like characteristic, making the sentence more vivid and expressive.

Let's break down why it is not the other options:

• Simile: Simile involves a comparison between two different things using "like" or "as." The sentence does not contain such a comparison.
• Metaphor: A metaphor directly states that one thing is another. The sentence does not make such a direct equation.
• Hyperbole: Hyperbole involves exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally. There is no exaggeration in the statement.

Therefore, the correct figure of speech is personification.

Answer 2

Concept:

• Personification gives a non-living or non-human subject an action or quality that literally only a living, human subject can perform.
• A quick way to test for personification is the substitution test: mentally replace the non-human subject with a person and check whether the sentence still reads as a normal, literal action.

Step 1: Identify the subject and its action in the sentence.
Subject: "the wind" (a non-living, natural phenomenon). Action: "whispered" (a quiet-speech verb that literally requires a mouth and voice).

Step 2: Apply the substitution test.
Replace "the wind" with a person: "She whispered through the trees." This reads as a completely normal, literal human action, confirming that the original sentence is giving a human capability to a non-human subject.

Step 3: Rule out the other figures of speech using their defining markers.
Simile needs an explicit comparison word such as "like" or "as" - none appears here. Metaphor needs a direct equation of the form "X is Y" - no such equation appears. Hyperbole needs an extreme, literally unbelievable claim - "whispered through the trees" is mild and ordinary, not exaggerated.

Step 4: Conclude based on the substitution test and the elimination in Step 3.
Since the sentence assigns a specifically human action to a non-human subject, and none of the other markers apply, the figure of speech used is personification.

Final Answer: Personification