D. Giving human qualities to nonhuman things
It's called personification.
This is known as personification. It involves attributing human characteristics or behaviors to something that is not human, such as animals, objects, or even abstract concepts. Personification is often used in literature to make the nonhuman thing more relatable or to convey a specific message or emotion.
The practice of ascribing human characteristics to animals is called anthropomorphism,or Pathetic fallacy.
Personification
In "A Wintry Sonnet," Rossetti uses personification, a literary device where nonhuman things are given human qualities, to personify nature elements like the frost, cold, and snow. This creates a vivid and emotional connection between the natural world and the reader, enhancing the poem's imagery and impact.
Anthropomorphism.
Personifaction.
Some basic examples are: The sun kissed the flowers. The wind was whistling. The light was dancing. Personification is a tool of figurative language that give human-like qualities to nonhuman things. Be careful not to get metaphors and personifications mixed up! Sometimes one can seem like the other.
I believe the type of figurative language in which an inanimate object is given human characteristics is anthropomorphism.
Personification is the attribution of human qualities and attributes to nonhuman things. In "the sun continue to smile on him," the sun is smiling, which is considered as a human quality. The sun doesn't literally smile (up)on (someone or something), but it expresses, bestow, or look with favor or approval on someone or something.
He was the very personification of the boy in the book called Where The Wild Things Are. That is a good example because the word means to act or show characteristics of something nonhuman.
If I am correct, you are thinking of personification. And if you're not, it's anthropomorphism.