poetic device: Hyperbole

Hyperbole means extreme and obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally. To say “her smile is as bright as the sun” or “this test is taking forever” are examples of hyperbole.

Hyperbole is different than ordinary exaggeration, where you might say “the fish was three feet long” when it was really only two feet long, or “I spent all day doing homework” when you really spent just an hour or two.

In these poems, usually the story itself is hyperbolic, although some may include just a single instance of hyperbole. See if you can find the hyperbole in each of these poems.

I Made a Meme this Morning by Kenn Nesbitt
I Made a Meme this Morning
Our Magic Toilet
Lost and Found by Kenn Nesbitt
Lost and Found
My Flat Cat
My Flat Cat
All My Great Excuses by Kenn Nesbitt
All My Great Excuses
I Stuck My Finger Up My Nose
Hottest Food Ever by Kenn Nesbitt
Hottest Food Ever
I'd Like to Be a Movie Star by Kenn Nesbitt
I’d Like to Be a Movie Star
When Larry Made Lasagna
Bradley Bentley Baxter Bloome
Mr. Whisper
I Finished My Homework
My iPhone Did My Homework
Ugly Couple
Science Homework
You Can Never Be Too Careful by Kenn Nesbitt
You Can Never Be Too Careful
The World's Fastest Bicycle by Kenn Nesbitt
The World’s Fastest Bicycle
Merlo the Magnificent
The Armpit of Doom by Kenn Nesbitt
The Armpit of Doom
The Biggest Burp Ever
Crazy Over Vegetables by Kenn Nesbitt and Eric Herman
Crazy Over Vegetables
My Puppy Plays Piano
That Explains It!
The Toughest Pastry Maker