Answer:
The given statement is from the Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963 by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Type of figurative language: Simile
Meaning of figurative language: Compares two things
Simile is one of the figures of speech which includes the comparison of one object with another of a totally different type or kind. It is generally used to make a description more vivid or emphatic.
Effect on tone and mood: matter of fact
Effect on audience: It enables the audience to understand the real fact of existence that injustice should be exposed in the eyes of the nation before it finds a solution.