Let's answer the question: "What is hyperbole in literature?"

What is hyperbole in literature? Here is a small clue: organic, primordial users of hyperbole are fishermen. In the mouth of the "master" of fishing stories caught roach becomes a bream, a pitiful okunek - a fish-athlete, and a pike ... it's hard to even describe. You probably guessed what I wanted to say: hyperbole is an exaggeration. By the way, this is, so to speak, the primary, primitive area of its application. For example, from the tales of ancient Indians, we learn that over each kind of beast is dominated by the "elder brother". Similar ideas are also found in African folklore. But is it only in them? Let us recall Russian folk tales. About the giant Veshche Ravens, the eldest, "crowned" king of all ravens, or about Bee Matka, the progenitor of all bees.

II stage. From the Renaissance to the 18th century

In their own way they answered the question " What is hyperbole in literature?" Writers of the Renaissance. Of course, this sought-after reception from fiction does not always carry a comic overtones, as, for example, in the famous satire novel on the mores of Catholicism before the reformation of the writer Gian Gantuha and Pagrantuelle in the 16th and 17th centuries by writer François Rabelais. The hero of this book Gargantua flying cannonballs seem only annoying flies.

Pagrantiel, however, from the best of motives, covers his whole army with his tongue from the pouring rain, and in his childhood this "babe" is fixed for safety to the children's cradle by chains, which, like the barriers, in olden times were blocked by harbor harbors. It seemed to understand what a hyperbole is in literature up to the end of the 18th century. But the emphasis has shifted noticeably: from exposing satire to good-natured humor. The "most truthful" person on earth, Baron Munchausen, easily "knocks down" the head of the lion attacking him with a hunting knife, and then inserts it with an enviable dexterity into the mouth of the crocodile. Unique accuracy allows the baron to replenish the edible reserves of his castle. Having shot the tail of the piglet-guide, leading with his help a blind viper, the baron, holding on to the shot off the tip of the tail, leads the unseeing animal directly into the kitchen.

Stage III. Formation of the concept. The XIX century is our time. Definition of a hyperbola

In the future, the emphasis of the application of this artistic device has changed. Since the XIX century, the hyperbole already has a practically modern sphere of use. The definition of it has now changed, because remaining intentional and explicit exaggeration, it pursues other goals than before. Her mission now is to emphasize artistic expressiveness or to exacerbate judgments. Of course - the exact hyperbole now significantly enhances the impact of the work on the reader. She is an unconditional artistic success of the author. The search for bright hyperbole turns into a creative process. Let us recall the Lermontov lines from Borodin, about the "grief of bloody bodies," which prevents the nuclei from flying. Thus, only selectively detailing on the nameless characters of the soldiers, and basically - generalizing the readers to the hyperbolized battle landscape, the poet achieves a figurative representation of globality, bloodshed, crazy concentration and heat of battle. The swiftness of combat maneuvers by the poet is expressed by the following hyperbole: "Banners fluttered like shadows." As we see, the creative concentration of Lermontov creates real miracles. What is written here? Simply exaggerated the swiftness of the regiments thrown into the meat grinder, or the comparison of the incomparable: the banners and shadows, that is, the sending of entire units into the world of shadows, i. In non-existence? What is this? Metaphor? Hyperbola? Rather, both that, and another. The above example should not leave the impression that the lot of hyperbole is battle scenes.

Indeed, for the first time in the most in-depth manner, the question "What is a hyperbola in literature?" Of the nineteenth-century classics was answered. It is the tuning fork that emphasizes the grandeur and beauty of landscape lyrics. The recognized master of hyperbole is the great Russian writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. His description of the "marvelous Dnieper" in the story "Terrible Vengeance" is truly unique. And how organically it uses a hyperbola that "not every bird" is allowed to fly to the middle of a mighty river! But Gogol even more often uses hyperbole and "laughter for the sake of", generously giving them a distinctive, figurative characteristic: "wide trousers" broadly comparable to the Black Sea, or the mouth open with surprise to such an extent that it resembles the "Arch of the General Staff".

The master of this trail (artistic figure) is the Danish storyteller Andersen. His "Little Mermaid" - a solid bright hyperbole and allegory.

The practice of applying hyperbole in the literature has become even lighter. On the one hand, as we see, it can idealize, on the other - contain annihilating irony.

The hyperbolas of Mayakovsky are magnificent. The sunset, flaming "in 140 Suns", amazes imagination.

Hyperbola is also used by modern, lively and already departed, sometimes very different in style authors: Victor Pelevin, Boris Akunin, brothers Strugatsky, Valentin Pikul, Weller Mikhail Iosifovich.

conclusions

As you understand, we are talking about a rather fine artistic instrument of real masters. And you need to use it skillfully. Otherwise, people will "laugh" over the hapless writer. What should be remembered for the organic use of hyperbole in fiction? They should not violate the natural dynamics of the plot. They are not allowed to disrupt the result of the actions taken by the characters. It is also not recommended to distort portrait portraits excessively. However, the above does not apply to fantastic works, where a priori the author has removed such restrictions.