Read the following lines: 'The harmattan comes with its dusty breath, / Choking the land in a shroud of grey.' The figure of speech used in 'dusty breath' is

Personification attributes human characteristics to non-human things. Here, the harmattan is given a human quality — 'breath' — making it appear as a living being. This is a classic example of personification, not simile (which requires 'like' or 'as'), hyperbole, or oxymoron.