What literary device attributes human characteristics to abstract ideas?

The correct choice is personification because it is a literary device that gives human traits, emotions, or characteristics to non-human subjects or abstract concepts. This device is often used to create vivid imagery or to convey complex ideas in a more relatable way. For example, referring to “justice” as having “eyes” or saying “time marches on” are instances where abstract ideas are given human qualities, allowing readers to connect with those concepts on a more emotional level.

The other options do not fulfill this function: metonymy involves substituting the name of one thing with the name of something closely associated, allusion refers to an indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literary work, and an oxymoron combines contradictory terms to create a unique expression. Each of these techniques serves its own purpose in literature, but none are designed to personify abstract ideas.