Why does Franklin Delano Roosevelt refer to a “realist” in paragraph 12 and to a “realistic American” in paragraph 17?

(you didn't attach a copy of the poem, but i'm answering as best as i can)

since a simile compares two unlike things using like or as, it kind of gives an item the ability to do something it can't.

example: "the player was like a tiger on the field"

in this sentence, the simile conveys the idea that the player was fast and strong, like a tiger.

being surrounded by crimes, poverty, and failing schools as well as his own lack of confidence in his abilities.