false. Although they held each other in high regards, there's no specific evidence that he was inspired by him as Whitman came from a poor family and was never really that educated until later in his life.
I hope this helps
A simile is a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid. Now, you simply have to find the simile, and think about how you can interpret it. Since you did not attach the excerpt I can’t answer but at least this is how to do it.
When Frederick Douglas came to Auld's home for the first time, he was stunned by the extraordinary kindness of his new mistress. Mrs. Auld had never had a slave before, and she looked like an untouched by the evils of slavery. She did not mind him directly looking into her eyes, and she did not appreciate the fact that he was submissive. She taught him alphabet, and some small words. When Mr. Auld noticed what she was doing, he demanded that she stop immediately. The reason is, education breaks slaves, making them unbearable and unhappy. When Douglas heard it, he discovered the strategy that white people use to enslave black people. Douglas is grateful to Hugh Auld for this enlightenment.