Final answer:
The lines 'Every pine and fir and hemlock / Wore ermine too dear for an earl,' 'And the poorest twig on the elm-tree / Was ridged inch deep with pearl,' 'The stiff rails softened to swan's-down,' and 'sudden flurries of snowbirds, Like brown leaves whirling by' in 'The First Snowfall' by James Russell Lowell all use figurative language.
Step-by-step explanation:
The excerpt from "The First Snowfall" by James Russell Lowell contains several examples of figurative language that enhance the imagery and emotion of the poem. In the lines 'Every pine and fir and hemlock / Wore ermine too dear for an earl,' the trees are personified and given a regal quality, suggesting that they are adorned in luxurious white fur. Another instance is 'And the poorest twig on the elm-tree / Was ridged inch deep with pearl,' where the snow on the twigs is compared to pearls, using a metaphor to add beauty and value to the scene. The use of figurative language continues with phrases like 'The stiff rails softened to swan's-down,' which is a simile comparing the snow-covered rails to the softness of swan feathers, and 'the noiseless work of the sky,' a personification attributing human-like labor to the sky as it snows. Furthermore, the 'sudden flurries of snowbirds' are likened to 'Like brown leaves whirling by,' another simile comparing the motion of snowbirds to leaves caught in the wind.