Question

by william cullen bryant
it is a sultry day: the sun has drunk
the dew that lay upon the morning grass:
there is no rustling in the lofty elm
that canopies my dwelling, and its shade
scarce cools me. all is silent, save the faint
and interrupted murmur of the bee,
settling on the sick flowers, and then again
instantly on the wing. the plants around
feel the too potent fervors: the tall maize
rolls up its long green leaves; the clover droops
its tender foliage, and declines its blooms.
but far in the fierce sunshine tower the hills,
with all their growth of woods, silent and stern,
as if the scorching heat and dazzling light
were but an element they loved. bright clouds,
motionless pillars of the brazen heaven,—
read the sentence from the poem.
bright clouds, / motionless pillars of the brazen heaven,— / their bases on the mountains—their white tops / shining in the far ether—fire the air / with a reflected radiance, and make turn / the gazer’s eye away
what is the meaning of the metaphor motionless pillars of the brazen heaven?
a. the clouds provide contrast to the blazing sun
b. the clouds are still in the expanse of space
c. the clouds have an unusually bright appearance
d. the clouds appear to hold up the bright sky

Explanation:

A metaphor compares two unlike things. "Motionless pillars of the brazen heaven" compares clouds to pillars. Pillars hold up structures. Here, clouds seem to hold up the bright sky (heaven).

Answer:

D. the clouds appear to hold up the bright sky