What literary device makes a comparison using "as," "like," or "than"?

The correct choice is a simile because this literary device specifically uses the words "as," "like," or "than" to draw a comparison between two different things in a way that highlights a shared quality or characteristic. For example, saying "as brave as a lion" directly connects the bravery of a person to that of a lion, creating a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

While metaphors also make comparisons, they do so without these specific words—asserting that one thing is another rather than stating that one thing is like or as another. An analogy is a broader comparison that explains or clarifies something by showing how it resembles something else, but it doesn't focus on the implicit comparison specific to "as," "like," or "than." Alliteration, on the other hand, is a stylistic device that involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words, not a method of making comparisons. Thus, the definition and structure of a simile align perfectly with the question's criteria.