Hyperbole

Definition of Hyperbole

Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting” is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, “Ages have passed since I last saw you”. You may not have met him for three or four hours or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait.  Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.

Common Examples of Hyperbole

• My grandmother is as old as the hills.
• Your suitcase weighs a ton!
• She is as heavy as an elephant!
• I am dying of shame.
• I am trying to solve a million issues these days.

It is important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor. It does make a comparison but unlike simile and metaphor, hyperbole has a humorous effect created by an overstatement.

Significance of Hyperbole in Literature

Authors use hyperbole to evoke strong feelings or emphasize a point. Hyperbole can be used to overstate any type of situation or emotion, and can be used humorously or seriously. Hyperbole is most often found in poetry, as poets use it to make comparisons and describe things in more embellished terms. However, it is commonly used in prose and plays as well.

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall…

Billy Collins uses hyperbole in his poem “Forgetfulness” in imagining that a forgotten name is so far from the speaker’s memory “it has floated away down a dark mythological river.” Collins then extends this hyperbolic effect by saying that the total loss of memory includes even the name of the river.