Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments (AEPA) Practice Exam 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Mastery!

The phrase "he ran like a startled rabbit" is an example of a simile because it uses the word "like" to make a comparison between the way he ran and the behavior of a startled rabbit. Similes are characterized by their use of "like" or "as" to highlight similarities between two different things, thus creating vivid imagery. This comparison helps to convey the speed and possibly the frantic nature of the person's running, enhancing the reader's understanding of the action.

In this instance, the mention of a startled rabbit also evokes specific connotations, emphasizing suddenness and fear. Other literary devices such as metaphors, personification, and alliteration do not fit this example as they operate under different principles; metaphors do not use comparative words but instead directly state that one thing is another, personification gives human traits to non-human entities, and alliteration involves the repetition of consonant sounds typically at the beginning of words.