Sphinxlike silence
Rosen uses imagery to describe Ruth Bader-Ginsburg when he first met her in the 1990s. He describes how she was a "formidable presence," and "maintained a sphinxlike silent that those who don't know her can mistake for remoteness." Using the term "sphinxlike" suggests a sense of mystery about Ginsburg, indicating that she is hard to understand.
Flowers
Rosen describes how he sent Ginsburg some flowers for her 60th birthday. She sent him a letter thanking him for the gift, and said that they will "brighten the first sitting of my 60s and will help me think of spring this weekend." As such, the imagery of the flowers made Ginsburg think of spring.
Rosen's piece
Rosen wrote a piece for the New Republic about various legal figures, including Ginsburg. In this article, he used imagery to describe Ginsburg, including the fact that she was most likely to be able to "cut the Gordian knot," and the fact she might be friendly to the "mushy middle." Overall, Rosen's choice of language helps to set the scene and gives a full introduction to Ginsburg.
