What is the most prominent figurative language element in this excerpt from the poem “the first snowfall” by james russell lowell?
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.
a. simile
b. alliteration
c. synecdoche
d. personification
e. hyperbole

I believe that the most prominent figurative language element in this excerpt is D. personification.
Personification is when non-human entities have human abilities or qualities. So, every pine and fir and hemlock wore ermine... 
It's not simile, as simile is comparison using words such as like or as. Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant, so that's also incorrect. Synecdoche is a form of a metaphor, so it's not that either. Hyperbole is exaggeration, so that is incorrect as well.