Which term refers to addressing something nonhuman as if it were human?

The correct term for addressing something nonhuman as if it were human is apostrophe. In literature, apostrophe is a rhetorical device where a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or a nonhuman object as if it were capable of understanding or responding.

Apostrophe often lends emotional weight to the speaker's words, as it signifies a direct communication or a relationship that exists beyond the physical realm. For instance, in poetry, a character might address the stars or a lost loved one, invoking feelings of longing or reverence. This device serves to create intimacy and connection, despite the absence of a human listener.

While personification and anthropomorphism both involve attributing human traits or behaviors to nonhuman entities, personification does so to create imagery or evoke feelings, whereas anthropomorphism specifically attributes human-like characteristics to animals or deities, often in a narrative context. Imagery refers to descriptive language that appeals to the senses, which is a different focus entirely. Thus, apostrophe is the term that most accurately captures the essence of directly addressing something nonhuman as if it were human.