POETRY PRESCRIPTION: HYPERBOLE

​It’s time for another blog post about the use of poetic devices in picture book writing. Today, we’ll take a look at the poetic device: Hyperbole
 
Hyperbole is an excessive exaggeration, used to create emphasis or humor.
 

​Rhyme Doctor Michelle Schaub uses hyperbole to great advantage in the poem “Summer Checklist” from her poetry collection, FRESH-PICKED POETRY: A Day at the Farmer’s Market (illustrated by Amy Huntington). 

Take a look at how Michelle exaggerates in the first three lines of this funny poem to describe the intense heat on a summer’s day:
 
If . . .
the pavement is so hot it could roast a shish kebab,
the temperature is high enough to pop corn off its cob,
boatloads of tomatoes and zucchini reach the sky,
the watermelon vendor slices fruit for all to try,
a line wraps round the corner for fresh-squeezed lemonade,
Dalmatians and their owners are both panting in the shade,
farmers mist the Swiss chard and themselves to feel revived,
then . . .
without a doubt, you can shout: “Summer has arrived!”
​

​Add hyperbole to your writing toolbox! Do you have a poem or picture book in progress where you can draw attention with a bit of exaggeration? Something to consider. I’ll see you back here soon. Happy writing!
 
by Eileen Meyer, Rhyme Doctor