Your question is unclear or incomplete, can you give more details?
Answer:
Well, back then the slave owners did not let their slaves to learn how to read. They thought if they teach slaves this skill, they would be harder to handle. Then Douglass kept in a secret that he was learning and never stop learning. Douglass studied the book to learn how to make good speeches.
Hope this helps
Hello!
The figurative language can be identified as personification or a metaphor.
I hope it helps!