Figurative Language: Allusions and Hyperbole
Allusions
An allusion is a reference to a well-known event, person, place, or object from history, pop culture, or literature. Allusions are widely used in creative works. Allusions are also found in the world around you. Recognizing allusions in literature and in your daily life can help you better understand an intended message. Take a moment to explore some common allusions in this interactivity. Click the player button to begin.
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"Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Frost was an American poet who wrote throughout the 20th century. Many of his poems addressed life and culture in the American Northeast region. He recited the poem "The Gift Outright" at the inauguration of President Kennedy in 1961. Today, he is regarded as one of the most important American poets.
Now, read "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost. As you read, look for an example of an allusion. When you find it, make note of which type of allusion it is. Why did Frost use the allusion in the poem?
In the sixth line of the poem, Frost mentions Eden, which is a biblical allusion to the Garden of Eden. Specifically, Frost writes:
So Eden sank to grief;
Frost uses this allusion to extend the idea that the fruitful perfection of a place like Eden does not stay forever, which matches the idea in the title of the poem. According to Frost, the beauty of spring does not last forever; it is part of a natural process.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is the use of extreme exaggeration for emphasis. For example: She worked her fingers to the bone scrubbing the kitchen floor. This is obviously an exaggeration. There is no way in the world anyone in their right mind (no matter how hard of a worker someone is) would scrub a floor until the bones in their fingers were showing. So, why would an author use such an image? Poets want to "show" rather than tell. This powerful hyperbole helps a reader understand just how hard this work must have been. If the poet had just wanted to "tell: he or she could have said: She worked really hard to clean the kitchen. That text seems rather boring compare to the example. Like other figurative language, hyperbole helps poets create vivid images.
"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was an African American poet who wrote during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and traveled extensively throughout her life, living on both coasts of the United States, in the American South, in Europe, and in Africa. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights Movement and many of her works address her life as an African American woman. She recited the poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the inauguration of President Clinton in 1993. In 2011, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor in the country.
Now, read "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. As you read, look for examples of hyperbole. When you find them, make note of why she uses them. What effect do they bring to the poem?
In this poem, you may notice that Angelou uses hyperbole in several lines. The speaker of the poem accuses the "you" of the following acts:
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
While these phrases seek to increase the harshness of the actions against the speaker, they are not actual shots, cuts, and kills. These are examples of hyperbole because they are exaggerations intended to make the reader understand how cruel these acts were to the speaker.
When is Hyperbole Just Exaggeration?
You may think that it is difficult to tell the difference between hyperbole and exaggeration. When someone exaggerates, they are doing it because they actually believe something, or they want to convince you of something. When a poet uses hyperbole, they know that there is no way that what they write is true, but they do it for effect.
Figurative Language Review
Now that you have learned about allusions and hyperbole, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Read each statement and decide if it is an example of allusion or hyperbole. Drag and drop the appropriate answer into the blank provided. Click the player button to get started.