In Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel, Clap When You Land, Acevedo uses similes and personification to display a strong theme of grief that has severe impacts on individuals. In the novel it says, “Mami still had an air around Papi,/like he was a medicine she knew she needed/even as she cringed at the taste (Acevedo 230-231).” Simile acts as a dominant tool for Acevedo to help highlight the theme of grief. Here, the simile is comparing the theme of grief to a world without Papi when she writes “he was a medicine she knew she needed”. Without Papi, she felt weak and with him around, it was the “medicine” she needed to keep on going. This shows how important Papi was to the family and how his presence simply made the environment a better place. Through