Standing on the snow-covered plain, as if in a pasture amid the hills, i cut my way first through a foot of snow, and then a foot of ice, and open a window under my feet, where, kneeling to drink, i look down into the quiet parlor of the fishes, pervaded by a softened light as through a window of ground glass, with its bright sanded floor the same as in summer; there a perennial waveless serenity reigns as in the amber twilight sky, corresponding to the cool and even temperament of the inhabitants. heaven is under our feet is well as over our heads.

which best describes the purpose of the imagery in this excerpt?

to illustrate the author’s calm, contemplative mood
to encourage readers to study nature more closely
to share the author’s views on religion and the afterlife
to demonstrate the complexity of animal behavior