What type of comparison uses "like" or "as"?

The comparison that uses "like" or "as" is known as a simile. This literary device is employed to create vivid imagery and to draw a direct comparison between two different things in a way that highlights a specific quality or characteristic they share. For example, saying someone is "as brave as a lion" uses "as" to directly compare courage to a well-known symbol of bravery, enhancing the imagery in the reader's mind.

Unlike similes, metaphors do not use "like" or "as" but instead imply a direct comparison, stating that one thing is another (e.g., "Time is a thief"). Alliteration refers to the repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely positioned words, which is a technique used to create rhythm or focus in writing, but it is not about comparison. Personification involves giving human characteristics to non-human entities or objects, thus bringing them to life in a narrative but again does not involve a comparison using "like" or "as."