Final answer:
The squirrel may compare its place in the world to a year to suggest its life is cyclical and interconnected with nature, undergoing changes and playing a critical part in the larger environment, much like the cycle of seasons within a year.
Step-by-step explanation:
When exploring the question it is important to understand that metaphors and comparisons in literature are used to deepen the reader's connection and understanding of a subject. A year represents a complete cycle or journey, much the same way a squirrel's life can be viewed. The natural course of a year encompasses growth, change, death, and rebirth, and by comparing the squirrel's existence to this, we can infer that the creature's life, too, is cyclical and interconnected with the larger workings of nature.
Just as the year brings forth change in the scenery and the position of the Sun as observed in the sky, perhaps the metaphor suggests that the squirrel's role in the world is similarly cyclical and pivotal, even though it might seem small or insignificant in the grand scale of things. The comparison to a year might also evoke a sense of longevity and importance, despite the squirrel's size and the seemingly trivial moment it is part of.