Anthropomorphism and personification both assign human characteristics to non-human entities. Anthropomorphism is used to give human feelings or actions to animals, plants, or objects, while personification allows non-human entities to embody human traits. These literary devices encourage readers to think about subjects in a new way and have been used by conservationists and animal rights activists. Personification is most commonly used in folklore and children’s literature to give personality and motivations to non-human entities. Both devices are used to share lessons of commonality and help readers form bonds with those around them.
Understanding the difference between anthropomorphism and personification can be difficult as each term refers to a similar assignment of human characteristics to a non-human entity. Anthropomorphism is a literary device that an author uses to give traditionally human feelings or actions to an animal, plant, or inanimate object. The Easter Bunny is an example of anthropomorphism, as an animal becomes a total embodiment of human characteristics and abilities. Personification works similarly and occurs when the writer allows a non-human entity to embody human traits. For example, the sentence “The wind blew angrily, expressing the full extent of its violent rage,” applies this concept, because the wind retains its non-human form while assuming emotions, intentions, and a masculine pronoun.
Authors often use anthropomorphism in writing to represent abstractions or metaphors in the form of a traditional object or animal. This device encourages readers to think about the subject in a new way. Historically, it has also contributed to the efforts of conservationists and animal rights activists. These groups use this device to make people think about the environment and animals differently, with the idea that these entities have a similar intrinsic value to humans. It is also sometimes used by groups such as animal rights activists, who ask people to understand the reasoning, emotion and feeling abilities of animals.
The personification is most frequently used in folklore, traditional stories and children’s literature. In these stories, the authors give a name, a course of action, and a personality with motivations and desires to an animal, plant, or other inanimate object. Through this device, writers are able to universalize human traits and ideas.
Anthropomorphism and personification are used frequently in both culture and literature to share lessons of commonality and to help readers form bonds with those around them. Many authors use anthropomorphism because it clearly gives fully human emotions to a non-human entity, which could provide a clearer reading for the audience. Others prefer personification which is often more subtle and associates some human traits with an entity and does not encompass all human traits.
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