If not literal, then the Bible means only what any individual wants it to mean, so none of these discussions matter anyway.
The Bible indicates when figures of speech are being employed. Otherwise, the words should be believed by their normal-literal interpretation.
The Bible doesn't indicate it any more than your average poem indicates it. The one thing I do agree with you on is that the Bible DOES NOT mean whatever any individual wants it to mean, no matter how sincere. How I remember this one guy in one of my bible study groups who would always say something to the effect of, "well, I don't care.... what it means to me is...." and that is pointless. Scripture has a meaning. We might all be moved by particular verses or passages at different times and the verses or passages, being inspired by God, are deep and have levels of depth so at different times in our life, they may speak to us on a deeper level than at other times, but to reiterate, there is nowhere in the Bible where one is given a hint or clue that a figure of speech is being employed, which my friend, is why there have been some problems within certain "Christian" groups who seem to believe that God, indeed, does have a hand.