Answer:
Figurative language.
Step-by-step explanation:
Figurative Language can be defined as a language that presents meaning different from literal meaning of any literary piece of writing.
The given line is taken from book titled 'Notes of a Native Son' written by James Baldwin. The book is an autobiographical account of Baldwin.
In the given line, Baldwin has used figurative language and not simile.
So, the correct answer is figurative language.