| There are at least sixty different types of | | | | This method draws the reader in by providing |
| rhetorical devices in English literature. The | | | | a statement that does not seem to fully |
| English language is an odd mixture of truth | | | | appreciate the impact of event or situation. |
| and symbolism and most often exhibits this | | | | |
| propensity in the form of various figures of | | | | Situation: The temperature outside is 10 |
| speech. Of all the types of symbolic or | | | | below zero. |
| rhetorical devices used, hyperbole is the | | | | |
| most common. The use of hyperbole may remind | | | | Hyperbole: It is so cold outside your words |
| you of William Shatner and his propensity to | | | | freeze. No one can hear you until the spring |
| overact. | | | | thaw.. |
| | | | |
| Worsley Online School asked visitors to come | | | | Understatement: It might get a little cool |
| up with examples of hyperbole. Here are a few | | | | today. |
| of the best examples from school-aged | | | | |
| children. (Source: | | | | Situation: A chef prepares a wonderful |
| | | | dinner. |
| "My sister uses so much makeup when she | | | | |
| smiles her cheeks fall off." Ed | | | | Hyperbole: The food was so good it got time |
| | | | off for behavior. |
| "My Teacher's so old she's mentioned in the | | | | |
| Old Testament." Kaysie | | | | Understatement: The food was tolerable. |
| | | | |
| "My dog is so ugly the fire hydrants disguise | | | | Situation: Viewing a NASCAR race. |
| themselves!" Cara | | | | |
| | | | Hyperbole: The car was so fast I heard a |
| "My city is so isolated it takes three days | | | | sonic boom. |
| just to get to the grocery store!" Ashley | | | | |
| | | | Understatement: The cars drove at a fair |
| "Your sister is so dumb, she walked by the | | | | clip. |
| YMCA and thought they spelled MACY'S wrong" | | | | |
| Alicia | | | | Authors use hyperbole and understatement in |
| | | | both fiction and non-fiction writing, however |
| "My history teacher's so old, he lived | | | | it is safe to say that the use of hyperbole |
| through everything we've learned about | | | | is much more widely used. Hyperbole is often |
| ancient Greece" Ryan | | | | used excessively and may not be as clever for |
| | | | the reader as we imagined when we devised the |
| "Saskatchewan is so flat, you can see your | | | | hyperbolic line. |
| dog run away for 4 days!" Jenna | | | | |
| | | | As with almost everything in life the use of |
| "It was so cold, even the polar bears were | | | | hyperbole and understatement are best used in |
| wearing jackets." Elizabeth | | | | moderation. The use of hyperbole may help |
| | | | define a character in a storyline but there |
| The opposite demonstration of this rhetorical | | | | is a significant amount of hyperbole that has |
| device is called Understatement. | | | | been relegated to colloquialism and often |
| | | | becomes clich to the reader. |