Final answer:
B. Sunlight. The author refers to sunlight with the metaphor 'an ocean of gold and yellow waves' in the first stanza.
Step-by-step explanation:
The metaphor 'an ocean of gold and yellow waves' in the first stanza refers to B. Sunlight.
The author uses this metaphor to describe the beauty and luminosity of the landscape. The waves of gold and yellow represent the way the sunlight reflects and illuminates the surroundings, creating a stunning visual effect.
For example, in the line 'The fire beyond the belt of woods on the farther side of the creek, reflected to earth from the canopy of its own smoke, was now suffusing the whole landscape,' the author is describing how the sunlight is reflected and transformed into a golden glow, enveloping the entire scene.