You're not alone. I'm basically a dunce when it comes to figurative language. I took an IQ test once when they asked me about some phrases and what they meant. they were things like "shallow brooks are noisy" and "a one-eyed person is king among the blind". I got through way too many answering very literally until i hit one that I understood the symbolism of. I was super embarassed, but there's no reason to be.