The correct answer is metaphor.
A metaphor is a rhetorical figure of speech where two or more things are symbolically compared, without using the words such as like or as (because that would be a simile). This whole poem is symbolical/metaphorical - it talks about the passage of time and how everything is transient and fleeting.
The question is from James Baldwin's book, Notes of A Native Son and same-titled essay in the book. The author gives the details of his father's death and writes that his mother gave birth to one his sisters just before the father passed away. Therefore, the correct option is C.
Making an inference involves using what you know to make a guess about
what you don't know, or reading between the lines.
Hope it helps!
