What is the metaphor in James Russell The First Snowfall?

In the poem "The First Snowfall" by James Russell Lowell, the main metaphor compares the falling snow to the onset of old age. The poet personifies the snow as an old man with "white locks" and "feeble steps," suggesting that the arrival of winter and the passing of time are similar. The whiteness of the snow is associated with the gray hair of the elderly, and the slow, gentle fall of the snowflakes is likened to the measured pace of an old person walking. By comparing snow to old age, the poem conveys the idea that the natural cycle of life and the changing seasons are akin to the progression of human life from youth to old age.