The literary device used in this passage is an extended metaphor in which all of humanity, Gatsby included, is heading towards the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. This light is a symbol not only of Gatsby's love for Daisy but also Americans' quest to achieve the proverbial American Dream of greater wealth and higher status. Later, in another metaphor, humanity is compared to boats that are constantly beaten back by the tides so that they never make any progress.
The diction in this passage is elevated, in that it does not use much informal language. The syntax is fragmented, as there are parts of sentences such as "And one fine morning..." These thoughts are not completed, much as people's wishes are not completed and these syntactical choices contribute to the overall cynical tone of the passage.
The significance of this passage is that it expresses our collective hopes for a better future, as well as expressing Gatsby's hopes to achieve the American Dream of climbing the social ladder and earning great wealth. Gatsby does not achieve these hopes by the end of the novel, and Fitzgerald expresses that we won't either, though we will keep trying.
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