Final answer:
The metaphor comparing poetry to the phoenix is used to highlight poetry's timeless, immortal, and ever-renewing qualities. It indicates that poetry endures and can be reborn in the hearts and minds of its readers, much like the mythological phoenix that rises from its ashes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The narrator uses metaphor in literature to create a linkage between two disparate elements and illuminate deeper meanings or characteristics. By comparing poetry to the phoenix, the comparison alludes to the immortal and ever-renewing nature of poetic expression. A phoenix, a mythological bird that is known to rise from its ashes, symbolizes rebirth and eternity. Therefore, suggesting that poetry, like the phoenix, is timeless and constantly can be reborn within the minds and interpretations of readers. This also implies that poetry holds an enduring flame of life, persisting through generations and evolving over time, yet maintaining its essence. This metaphor effectively conveys the power and transcendence of poetry, indicating its ability to endure and be reborn in the imaginations of its readers.