Final answer:
Metaphors in literature often describe one thing as if it were something else, to provide symbolic meaning or enhance imagery. Examples include describing the sun's movement in the sky as indicative of time passing, or comparing trees illuminated by fire to candles to evoke a human-like gathering.
Step-by-step explanation:
The meaning of the underlined metaphor from the provided extracts can be interpreted in several ways. Literary metaphors are a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
For example, in the extract mentioning "the sun swung steadily up the sky," the metaphor does not necessarily imply a physical movement of the sun around the sky like a pendulum but rather describes the passage of time and the transition from dawn to broad day, as observed by the changes in sea color and light.
In another passage, "blazing pines...like candles at an evening meeting," might suggest that the pines, illuminated by fire, are being compared to candles, creating an image of natural elements portraying human-like qualities or settings. In "shadows on the sage-slope," the metaphor could symbolize troubles or worries creeping into one's life, with 'shadows' being the problems and 'sage-slope' representing the individual's existence.