Question

name
literary analysis: humorous essay
practice
a humorous essay is a short piece of nonfiction that is meant to make you
laugh. humorous writing can use these figures of speech:
= hyperbole hy pur buh leel is intentional exaggeration. for instance,
your older sister might take a long time getting ready in the morning. to
use hyperbole, you could say, \when my sister first stepped into the
bathroom, it was monday. by the time she came out, it was friday.\
= understatement is the opposite of hyperbole. understatement is talking
about something as if it were much less than it is. imagine that your
friend is making dinner. suddenly, smoke filters through the house. your
friend rushes to the oven, opens it, and pulls out a roasting pan
containing a chunk of blackened, smoking meat. you are using
understatement if you say, \that roast looks a little overcooked.\

for each paragraph, write hyperbole if it uses hyperbole. write understatement if it
contains understatement.

1. as soon as jack arrives, shellys dog starts growling.

as soon as jack sits down, the dog starts barking furiously at him. when
jack stands up, the dog snaps at him, ripping his pants leg. jack says, \do
you think he likes me?\

1. john has just finished his tryouts for the wrestling

team, and he decides to treat himself. he goes to an ice cream parlor, where
he orders a small sundae. when the ice cream arrives, though, it is five
scoops with a mound of whipped cream on top. \who ordered mt. everest?\
he says. \i thought i ordered something to eat, not something to ski down!\

1. your friends have been at soccer practice on a rainy

day, and the field was muddy. when they ring the doorbell, you open it
and see five girls on your doorstep, laughing and covered in mud. you say,
\dont bother wiping your feet on the way in. my mother wont mind a
few tracks.\

Explanation:

1. Jack's dog growls, barks, and rips his pants. Saying "Do you think he likes me?" downplays the dog's hostility.
2. Comparing a large ice - cream sundae to Mt. Everest (a huge mountain) is an intentional exaggeration.
3. Friends are covered in mud. Saying "My mother won't mind a few tracks" downplays the mess.

Answer:

1. Understatement
2. Hyperbole
3. Understatement