The three figurative language devices used in the bolded lines are personification, simile, and metaphor.
1. Personification: "the night would be my eyelids." This line personifies the night, giving it human-like qualities by suggesting that it can serve the same purpose as eyelids, which protect and shield the eyes.
2. Simile: "trying to see through a blanket." This line uses a simile to describe Rainsford's difficulty in seeing the direction from which the reports had come. It compares the act of trying to see to the act of trying to see through a thick blanket, emphasizing the extreme darkness and lack of visibility.
3. Metaphor: "the lights of the yacht became faint and ever-vanishing fireflies." This line uses a metaphor to compare the fading lights of the yacht to fireflies. It suggests that the lights are not only becoming faint, but also moving away and disappearing like fireflies in the night.
The overall mood of the passage is suspenseful and intense. The author uses vivid and descriptive language to create a sense of urgency and danger. The figurative language devices contribute to this mood by enhancing the reader's understanding of Rainsford's predicament. The personification of the night and the metaphor of the vanishing fireflies add to the eerie and uncertain atmosphere, while the simile of trying to see through a blanket emphasizes the difficulty and tension of Rainsford's situation. Together, these figurative language devices heighten the suspense and create a sense of anticipation for what will happen next.