HYPERBOLE AS A LITERARY DEVICE: NATURE, FUNCTIONS, AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OTHER FIGURES OF SPEECH
Authors
Khusan Normatov ()Files
Abstract
This paper examines hyperbole as a rhetorical and literary device, exploring its theoretical foundations, communicative functions, and stylistic characteristics within literary discourse. Hyperbole — the deliberate exaggeration of qualities, quantities, or conditions for expressive effect — has been a central feature of literary and oral traditions across cultures and historical periods. The study investigates the similarities and differences between hyperbole and related figures of speech, including litotes, metaphor, and simile, through comparative textual analysis. Drawing on examples from English literature, from Shakespeare and Milton to contemporary fiction and poetry, the article demonstrates how hyperbole operates as a structuring principle of both lyric intensity and satirical critique. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of hyperbole's role in meaning-making, reader response, and the aesthetics of literary language.
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