擬人法

• Reading: ぎじんほう
• Romaji: gijinhou
• Kanji breakdown: 擬 (gi) — imitate, liken; 人 (jin) — person, human; 法 (hou) — method, technique
• Pronunciation: /ɡi.dʑiɴ.hoː/

Meaning

Personification; prosopopoeia; a rhetorical device in which human qualities, emotions, or actions are attributed to non-human subjects.

A noun for the literary technique of attributing human characteristics to animals, objects, nature, or abstract concepts. Common in poetry, children's literature, and advertising. In Japanese literary analysis, 擬人法 is distinguished from 擬人化 (the broader cultural phenomenon of anthropomorphisation). It is taught as a core rhetorical figure in secondary school Japanese composition.

Examples

1. 風が囁くという表現は、擬人法の典型的な例として授業で紹介された。 The expression 'the wind whispers' was introduced in class as a classic example of personification.
2. 宮沢賢治の作品には、擬人法を用いた豊かな自然描写が随所に見られる。 Rich descriptions of nature using personification can be found throughout the works of Kenji Miyazawa.
3. 子ども向けの物語では、動物に感情や意思を持たせる擬人法が多用される。 In stories for children, personification is heavily used to give animals emotions and will.

Usage Guide

Context: rhetoric, literary analysis, poetry, education

Tone: analytical

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound. 擬 means 'to imitate, to liken' and 人 means 'person/human'. 法 means 'method, technique, law'. Together: 'technique of likening to a person'.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Students/Adults

Social background: Educational/Literary