Ancient literature, even the scripture, perhaps especially the scripture, seems to personify the inanimate. It speaks of the rocks crying out. It speaks of the stars that sing. Of course, there are many other examples. It speaks of such things. It does not limit such personification to the inanimate. In some ways it personifies even states of mind. It references the spirit of evil, the spirit of anger, and the spirit of fear.
This tendency may be considered as only literary device. The more skeptical, may consider it as primitive ignorance. But I wonder, I wonder if our modern/post-modern constructive reality is too limited. Things are. Living things are. Inanimate things are.
The subject predicate expression is universal. But perhaps there are more commonalities in the predicate than we have realized. If so, then these commonalities originate in the subject. Our notion of what it is to be alive, may be too limiting.