Identify the figure of speech: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

**The reasoning** Personification is when you give human qualities or actions to non-human things. The key word here is **"whispered"**. Wind cannot actually whisper — that's something only humans do with their mouths and voices. By saying the wind "whispered," the writer treats the wind like a person who can communicate softly. This is the hallmark of personification: making nature, objects, or animals behave like humans. **Why the wrong options tempt you** - **Simile** would need "like" or "as" (e.g., "The wind was like a whisper") - **Metaphor** would directly say the wind *is* something else (e.g., "The wind is a whisper") - **Hyperbole** is extreme exaggeration for effect (e.g., "The wind could wake the dead") None of these fit because we're simply giving the wind a human action (whispering), not comparing it or exaggerating. **Quick takeaway** When non-human things **do** human actions (whisper, dance, smile, sing), that's personification — it brings the world to life by treating it like a person.