Hyperbole

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is figure of speech which relies upon exaggeration and overstatement. Hyperboles are not intended to be taken seriously and are often used to add humor to a piece. Poets often rely on hyperboles to describe intense emotions. It should go without saying that hyperboles are used in love poetry to describe longing for another. The statement “he or she ripped my heart out” is an example of a hyperbole.

While I was surfing the web, in preparation of this lesson, I came across a poem entitled “Death By Hyperbole” by Daniel Evans. I would like to share it with you now. While you read this poem take note of how Evans uses hyperbole to express the bounds of his love.

Death by Hyperbole
By Daniel Evans

Let Tsunamis wash over me and volcanoes explode on me, order fire to consume, the cold earth to entomb.
Invent diseases to sicken me, plagues that just pick on me, bring on tornadoes and hurricanes, send floods from all origins.

But please don't leave me.

Find vipers to bite, African elephants to smite, Grizzly bears to unbowel me [sic], Great White sharks to devour me, bulls to gore, piranhas that gnaw, birds (they can peck), what the heck, stampede herds that will trample, grow plants that can strangle.

Pay robbers to shoot me, offer knives while they loot me, use sticks and throw stones, just aim at my bones.

Call on henchmen to hurt me, tell your friends all about me, clone me then kill me twice, you might find that nice.

But please don't leave me.

Call elections to topple, send thugs to throttle, politicians to oppose, journalists to expose, doctors to section, lawyers to threaten, ask boffins to baffle me, perhaps the Merched could raffle me?

The Ancient Greeks should hear of me, they could record my vile history, get my name in the bible (snake) come, there's no time to be idle.
Buddha and Mohammed? They'll want to hear the things I did, Hindus too should be put in the frame, all religions be alert to my name.

But please don't leave me
because if you do, I will surely o.d.
on far too much hy-per'-bo-lee.

My favorite part about this poem is how it is structured around the premise of hyperbole. This poem acknowledges that it is a bit overstated, then revels in the fun. The fact that it rhymed and had a sing-song type of rhythm furthered my enjoyment of it.

Assignment

I have another fun little poem for you to read. This is another sonnet by William Shakespeare entitled “My Mistress' Eyes”. Once you've finished reading and answering answering the questions I've posted with it, please email it back to me


Download “My Mistress' Eyes” by William Shakespeare