Onomatopoeia and Hyperbole

Onomatopoeia The use of words whose sounds imitate or suggest their meaning. Whack, boom, tick tock, tweet, and bark are all onomatopoeia words. Onomatopoeia words, such as, murmur, buzz, hiss, and ping, create an effect that can be both meaningful and musical.

Ex.) Sizzle—doesn’t it sound like bacon frying on the grill? Ex.) Snap, crackle, & pop—sounds like Rice Crispies after you pour milk on them, doesn’t it? Ex.) What does a chainsaw sound like when it’s revving up? Buzz

Jabberwocky By, Lewis Carroll

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought -- So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! Jabberwocky contd.

One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

Exercise 1

1.) Do the words in “Jabberwocky” make sense? Why might this poem make sense?

2.) What words would you substitute for “burbled,” “snicker-snack,” “or “galumphing”?

Exercise 2

See how many onomatopoeic words you can create in five minutes. Choose a partner to guess what sounds are being described.

Ex.) Person 1- “buzzzzzzz” Person 2- “That was a bee flying!” Hyperbole is an exaggeration; overstating something, usually for the purpose of creating a comic effect.

Ex.) She’s so thin that if she turned sideways, she’d disappear. Ex.) These books weigh a ton or I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse.

O, My Luve Is Like A Red, Red Rose By, Robert Burns

O my luve's like a red, red rose. That's newly sprung in June; O my luve's like a melodie That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I; And I will love thee still, my Dear, Till a'the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear, And the rocks melt wi' the sun: I will luve thee still, my Dear, While the sands o'life shall run.

And fare thee weel my only Luve! And fare thee weel a while! And I will come again, my Luve, Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

Exercise 3

Find and underline the examples of hyperboles in this poem by Robert Burns. Find four examples. Exercise 4

Write one hyperbole to complete each of the following lines:

1.) The new skyscraper is so tall…

2.) My brother is so smart…

3.) I worked for so long…

4.) She sang so loud…

5.) The movie was so bad

What is the example of hyperbole in this cartoon?