Question

What is the most prominent figurative language element in this excerpt from the poem "The First Snowfall" by James Russell Lowell? Every pine and fir and hemlock Wore ermine too dear for an earl, And the poorest twig on the elm-tree Was ridged inch deep with pearl.

Answer 1

This question is missing the options. I've found the complete question online. It is the following:

What is the most prominent figurative language element in this excerpt from the poem “The First Snowfall” by James Russell Lowell?

Every pine and fir and hemlock

Wore ermine too dear for an earl,

And the poorest twig on the elm-tree

Was ridged inch deep with pearl.  

a. simile

b. alliteration

c. synecdoche

d. personification

e. hyperbole

Answer:

The most prominent figurative language in the excerpt is:

D. personification.

Explanation:

Let's take a look at the other options first so that we can safely eliminate them. A simile is a comparison that relies on words such as "like" or "as". Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to each other in the structure. Synecdoche uses a part to represent a whole (when we say "wheels" to mean a "car", for instance). Finally, hyperbole is an exaggeration that emphasizes something.

None of the options above is found in the excerpt. However, there is personification in the first two lines:

Every pine and fir and hemlock

Wore ermine too dear for an earl,

Personification is a figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to inanimate objects or animals. In this case, the speaker says that plants are "wearing" a type of fur, which is something humans do - or did, before we became more environmentally aware. Since a pine cannot actually wear a coat made of fur, we can say the speaker is using personification here.