Topic: English Literature (Figures of Speech)
Step 1 : Understanding the Question:
This question asks for the identification of a literary device where a non-human entity is described as having human attributes. Figures of speech enhance the imagery and emotional impact of a sentence.
Step 2 : Key Formulas and approach:
The approach involves "Attributive Analysis." Identify the subject (the wind) and the action (whispered). Check if the action is a biological or intentional human trait. If a human trait is assigned to an inanimate object, it is personification.
Step 3 : Detailed Explanation:
Identifying the Subject: The subject "wind" is an atmospheric phenomenon. It does not possess a voice, vocal cords, or the consciousness required to "whisper."
Analyzing the Verb: "Whispering" is a human mode of communication used to convey secrets or quiet thoughts. By saying the wind whispered, the author is giving the wind a human personality.
Eliminating Other Figures:
Hyperbole: This is extreme exaggeration (e.g., "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse").
Irony: This involves a contradiction between expectation and reality.
Metaphor: This is a direct comparison (e.g., "The wind was a ghostly singer"). While similar, personification is more specific to human actions.
Conclusion: Because a human action is given to a natural element, the device is Personification.
Step 4 : Final Answer:
The figure of speech utilized here is (B) Personification.