His eyes made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows. What type of figurative language is used to describe the sea?

hyperbole to exaggerate the power of the waves
personification to describe the evening tide
imagery to invoke the sense of sight
metaphor to compare the sea to a dog