In the first line of the poem, the speaker describes the sea-winds as "pierc[ing] our solitudes." This is a metaphor, a comparison of two unalike things where one is said to be the other, comparing the winds to something physical that could pierce—like knives or needles or spears. This metaphor is effective in terms of conveying the physical sensation of the sharp winds that would seem to cut through one's clothes or thoughts. It is not a pleasant word, "pierced," and it sounds almost painful. Certainly, this action grabs our attention and conveys how the sea-winds arrested the attention of the speaker.

There is also a great deal of visual imagery in these few lines. Imagery is the representation, in words, of physical experience. The Rhodora spreads its "leafless blooms" in the "damp nook" near the "sluggish brook," into which the "purple petals [had] fallen." Through the speaker's use of detail and imagery, this effectively creates a vivid mental picture of the scene.

Further, there is a brief example of personification, or the attribution of human qualities to something that is not human. The Rhodora is described as spreading its flowers "to please the desert and the sluggish brook." This suggests both that the plant has the ability to want to please the brook and that the brook itself can be pleased. Thus, both the plant and the brook are personified, making the scene come alive—so to speak—even more.