English Literature

Grade 10
Literary Device
ANTHROPOMORPHISM

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics and qualities to animals or

other non-human beings. In anthropomorphism, the animal or other non-human beings such
as deities, angels, demons, etc. are actually behaving like human beings: they can talk, walk,
sing, dance and do a lot of other human actions. Some famous characters in children’s stories,
films and cartoons such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles, Goofy, Peter Rabbit are some examples of anthropomorphism.

Anthropomorphism is also a literary device that has been used by many authors. George
Orwell’s Animal Farm can be taken as a prime example of anthropomorphism. The main
characters are in the novel are animals and they act remarkably like human beings.

Other examples of anthropomorphism include Mark Twain’s A Dog’s Tale, Anna Sewell’s
Black Beauty, E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, and J.R.R.
Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. In these novels, the animal or other non-human creatures
have been attributed with human characteristics.

PERSONIFICATION

Personification is the attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the

representation of an abstract quality in human form. These attributed characteristics can be
feelings, emotions, motives as well as human actions. For example, let us look at the saying
the stars winked. Stars are inanimate objects yet the action of winking – which is a human
action – has been attributed to stars. This is because the twinkling of the stars in the night sky
can be compared to winking.

What happens in personification is that the writer describes a quality of something non-
human being or object by using human characteristics. But the object being described does
not really have the attributed characteristics. Personification is mainly used to create
vivid imagery.
Difference Between Personification and Anthropomorphism

Definition
Personification is the attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the
representation of an abstract quality in human form.
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics and qualities to animals or
other non-human beings
Human Characteristics
Personification only attributes human characteristics to animals or objects to create imagery.
Anthropomorphism gives human characteristics, and nonhuman beings and animals really
act like humans.
Meaning
Personification gives a figurative meaning.
Anthropomorphism gives a literal meaning.