Thoreau uses figurative language such as metaphors throughout the text. By far, the most prominent example is the extended metaphor of the government as a machine. He uses that metaphor to suggest that people who support the government are cogs in the machine of injustice. The metaphor makes it easier for the reader to understand the complicated nature of government while also creating a powerful image, as one may imagine a complicated device with pulleys, ropes, and cranks rather than a bunch of faceless bureaucrats simply upholding the law.

Thoreau also uses similes, such as when he describes his night in jail “like traveling to a far country” (20). The use of figurative language heightens his argument and helps readers who have not been imprisoned themselves understand the significance of the experience.

Thoreau uses very carefully chosen words that often have more than one connotation. For example, he uses “friction” in his machine metaphor. “Friction” has a mechanical meaning and is defined by Google as “the resistance an object encounters when moving over another.” For a machine, friction is often necessary for it to function.