Final answer:
In the Countess of Pembroke's rendering of Psalm 58, the wicked are compared to serpents, symbolizing sin and temptation.
Step-by-step explanation:
In her rendering of Psalm 58, the Countess of Pembroke compares the wicked to serpents. This is reflected in the transformation of a metaphor in a verse rewritten by poet Phillis Wheatley advising Harvard students to "Suppress the deadly serpent in its egg." Through this revision, the metaphor of the "deadly serpent" draws from the biblical story of Adam and Eve. This metaphor also symbolizes sin and evil, offering an allusion that readers from the time could relate to the nature of temptation and moral corruption.