Final answer:
The literary device used in the passage from "To build a fire" is a metaphor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The literary device used in the passage from "To build a fire" is a metaphor.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things by saying they are the same, without using the words "like" or "as". In the given passage, the author compares chaos to a pinch of joy and screaming, and an infant sleeping to a milky sea. These comparisons create vivid imagery and help the reader understand the writer's intention.