This question is incomplete. I've found the complete question online. It is the following:
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" below, identifying any figures of speech.
THE SPEECH: The pedagogue's mouth watered as he looked upon this sumptuous promise of luxurious winter fare. In his devouring mind's eye, he pictured to himself every roasting-pig running about with a pudding in his belly, and an apple in his mouth; the pigeons were snugly put to bed in a comfortable pie, and tucked in with a coverlet of crust; the geese were swimming in their own gravy; and the ducks pairing cosily in dishes, like snug married couples, with a decent competency of onion sauce. In the porkers he saw carved out the future sleek side of bacon, and juicy relishing ham; not a turkey but he beheld daintily trussed up, with its gizzard under its wing, and, peradventure, a necklace of savory sausages; and even bright chanticleer himself lay sprawling on his back, in a side dish, with uplifted claws, as if craving that quarter which his chivalrous spirit disdained to ask while living.
What do Irving's figures of speech suggest about Ichabod's imaginings?
A) Ichabod imagines that the farm animals would be happy to be eaten by him.
B) Ichabod imagines that Katrina is eager to cook delicious meals for him.
C) Ichabod imagines that the farm animals come spookily alive after cooking.
D) Ichabod imagines that he is the only one worthy to enjoy such a feast.
The figures of speech suggest:
Ichabod imagines that the farm animals would be happy to be eaten by him. (letter B in your post, letter A above).
Explanation:
In Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" the main character is Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster who happens to be quite greedy and superstitious. The passage we are analyzing here concerns the moment Ichabod sees Baltus Van Tassel's farm, abundant with animals. Being the avaricious man he is, Ichabod begins to imagine how delightful it would be if he married Van Tassel's daughter, Katrina, not because he loves her, but because it would mean that farm and those animals would eventually be his.
In the passage, Irving uses figurative language to show how Ichabod imagines the animals would be happy to be eaten by him. Of course, eating an animal is never good for the animal. It needs to be killed in order to be eaten. But notice how Irving carefully avoids mention their slaughter, how it seems that the animals are gladly offering themselves, how happily they become pies or swim in gravy:
The pedagogue's mouth watered as he looked upon this sumptuous promise of luxurious winter fare. In his devouring mind's eye, he pictured to himself every roasting-pig running about with a pudding in his belly, and an apple in his mouth; the pigeons were snugly put to bed in a comfortable pie, and tucked in with a coverlet of crust; the geese were swimming in their own gravy; and the ducks pairing cosily in dishes, like snug married couples...
Notice the use of "snugly", "tucked in", cosily". Those words convey a sense of comfort, happiness. Ichabod is, indeed, picturing the animals as cheerfully and willingly offering themselves to be eaten by him.
