Hyperbole: What It Is, History Of & Shel Silverstein Usage

A hyperbole is "a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect." For example:

• "She is running faster than the speed of light."
• "I waited in line forever."
• "That book weighed a ton."

Hyperbole is used to create emphasis and is a common literary device often used in poetry. It can also be employed as a visual technique in which a deliberate exaggeration of a particular part of an image is shown, like the embellishment of a person's facial features in a political cartoon.

 

Although there was an Athenian politician and demagogue named Hyperbolus in 4th century BCE, who was aptly known for his exaggerated statements, his name does not give us the word hyperbole, or hype, as it is abbreviated today.

 

Hyperbole derives from the Greek word hyper, meaning "over," plus bole, meaning "throw," which conveys the idea of excess or exaggeration. Hyperbolus was just appropriately named back in good ol' 4th century times.

Enjoy Shel Silverstein's excellent example of the use of hyperbole in this poem, "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out."