Question

select the correct answer.
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

Explanation:

To determine the figurative language, analyze each option:

• A. Simile: Requires "like" or "as" (not present here).
• B. Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds (e.g., "pine," "fir," "hemlock" have /p/, /f/, /h/—not dominant).
• C. Synecdoche: Part for whole (not applicable here).
• D. Personification: Gives human traits to non - human things. The trees "wore" ermine (a human action of wearing clothing), so this applies.
• E. Hyperbole: Exaggeration (not the main device here).

Answer:

D. personification