Hyperbole Hyperbole is a figure of speech which is an exaggeration. Such statements are not literally true, but used by an author to emphasizing something; a hyperbole is used for a certain effect. Authors often use hyperboles such as: Sam but the author wants the reader to understand Sam nearly died laughing – didn’t really almost die, that he laughed very hard. take forever, or it done! The author wants It took forever to do my homework – It didn’t wouldn’t be the reader to understand that the work took a really long time! Read the following hyperboles. What does it help the reader understand? Example: Bob was as hungry as a horse. (Yes, this is also a simile!) The reader understands: Bob was really hungry, starving. She cried her eyes out. (Did her eyes really pop out?) The reader understands: _________________________________________________________________________ and dogs. (Are puppies and kittens really falling out of the sky? Then, why would an It’s raining cats author use this hyperbole?) The reader understands: _________________________________________________________________________
Hyperbole Hyperbole is a figure of speech which is an exaggeration. Such statements are not literally true, but used by an author to emphasizing something; a hyperbole is used for a certain effect. Authors often use hyperboles such as: Sam nearly died laughing – Sam didn’t really almost die, but the author wants the reader to understand that he laughed very hard. It took forever to do my homework – It didn’t take forever, or it wouldn’t be done! The author wants the reader to understand that the work took a really long time! Read the following hyperboles. What does it help the reader understand? Example: Bob was as hungry as a horse. (Yes, this is also a simile!) The reader understands: Bob was really hungry, starving. She cried her eyes out. (Did her eyes really pop out?) The reader understands: _________________________________________________________________________ It’s raining cats and dogs. (Are puppies and kittens really falling out of the sky? Then, why would an author use this hyperbole?) The reader understands: _________________________________________________________________________