Read the excerpt from The Crisis, Number I.

"The heart that feels not is dead; the blood of his children will curse his cowardice who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole and made them happy."

What is the purpose of the figurative language in this excerpt?

The purpose of the figurative language in this excerpt from The Crisis, Number I is to make the audience feel that being a self-centered and a person who refuses to speak about anything for the good of the common people is cruel and cold hearted. It is shown in this phrase "curse his cowardice who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole".