Difficulty: Hard

Average Score: 45%

A teacher passes out twenty slips of paper - half with the beginnings of ten different jokes and half with the corresponding punch lines - to twenty students. Students are then asked to mingle and converse until each has found the student whose paper corresponds with his or her own and until everyone has learned one new fact about his or her partner.

Which of the following sentences contains an example of personification?

Rationale

I can hear the wind whispering to me.

This sentence exemplifies personification by attributing human qualities—specifically the ability to "whisper"—to the non-human entity of wind. This literary device creates a vivid image and enhances emotional resonance, making the natural world feel more alive and relatable.

A (It is raining cats and dogs.) YOUR ANSWER

This phrase is an idiomatic expression used to describe heavy rain, but it does not personify an inanimate object. Instead, it employs hyperbole and metaphor; "cats and dogs" are not actually falling from the sky, but the phrase emphasizes the intensity of the rain without attributing human characteristics to it.

C (I felt as brave as a lion prowling the jungle.) YOUR ANSWER

This sentence uses a simile to compare a person's bravery to that of a lion but does not attribute human qualities to the lion. While it draws a parallel between the two, it does not involve personification, which requires giving human traits to non-human entities.

D (My friend spent ten years on one math problem.) YOUR ANSWER

This statement reflects a person's dedication and effort but does not involve personification. It describes a human experience and does not endow any non-human object with human attributes, thus lacking the essence of personification.

Conclusion

Personification involves attributing human qualities to non-human entities, enhancing the expressive quality of language. Among the options presented, "I can hear the wind whispering to me" uniquely illustrates this literary device. The other choices, while using different figures of speech, do not meet the criteria for personification, making option B the clear example. This understanding enriches the appreciation of figurative language in literature and daily communication.

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