Question

in the first line, hayden mentions selma. this is a reference to the 1965 civil rights march from selma, alabama, in which nonviolent protestors were attacked by police.
today as the news from selma and saigon
poisons the air like fallout,
i come again to see
the serene great picture that i love.
—\monets waterlilies,\
robert hayden
what type of figurative language is the use of the word selma here?
how does thi of figurative language affect the last line of the
options: allusion, metaphor, simile

Explanation:

An allusion is a reference to a historical event, person, or work. Here, "Selma" refers to the 1965 civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, which is a historical event. A metaphor makes a direct comparison without "like" or "as", and a simile uses "like" or "as" (seen in "poisons the air like fallout" for simile, but "Selma" is not a simile or metaphor). So the use of "Selma" is an allusion.

Answer:

allusion