“Tears trickled out of his eyes… More tears streamed from both eyes, competitively…” is an example of—

Answer Details

Personification is a figure of speech that gives human qualities, emotions, or behaviours to something that is not human. In the expression "Tears trickled out of his eyes... More tears streamed from both eyes, competitively," the word competitively is the key indicator of personification. Tears are not sentient beings; they cannot compete with one another. By describing the tears as streaming "competitively," the writer gives them the human quality of rivalry - as though the tears from each eye are racing against each other to flow faster.

This device intensifies the emotional impact of the scene. Rather than simply stating that the character cried heavily, the personification creates a vivid, almost physical image of overwhelming grief pouring out uncontrollably.

This is not a simile because there is no comparison using "like" or "as." It is not a metaphor because the tears are not being described as something else entirely. It is not hyperbole because the description does not exaggerate the amount of crying in an unrealistic way - rather, it gives the tears a human characteristic.