Learn English – Is this an example of personification

figurativepersonification

"It seemed the most spiritual of all the flower people I had ever met." (John Muir)

If so, what part? I know saying "flower people" makes it personification but there are a few other parts of this sentence I'm not sure would be counted.

Does calling the flower "spiritual" make it personification? I've heard of other inanimate objects called spiritual before (spiritual writings), but I'm still not sure.

Or does saying he "met" the flower make it personification?

Best Answer

spiritual

I don't think anything about the word spiritual is inherently anthropocentric. However, the first definition seems to refer to a human's spirit, so this could definitely go either way.

met

Two animals can definitely meet, just as two forces of nature can meet. I don't think this is great support for the personification.

To be honest, I don't have a definitive answer. But contextually, John Muir was an environmentalist so I wouldn't be surprised if he was personifying the flower for the sake of familiarity.

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