Final answer:
The phrase is an example of a metaphor where anger is compared to smoke that clouds judgment and spreads among people.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase “His anger clouded the hearts of men like smoke” is an example of a literary device known as a metaphor. A metaphor directly compares two unrelated things without using “like” or “as”, implying that one thing possesses the attributes of the other. In this metaphor, anger is likened to smoke that clouds the ability of men to see clearly or think rationally, suggesting that it obscures judgment and spreads among people just as smoke fills a space.