Hyperbole and Rhythm

Hyperbole: “ The world might hold a feast ”. This is a big exaggeration. The poet does not mean the whole world would really hold one feast – he exaggerates to show how much joy words seem to promise (but cannot truly give).

Hyperbole : “the world might hold a feast” – jaan-bujh ke badha-chadha ke bola. Matlab words kitni khushi ka promise karte dikhte hain (par sach mein de nahi paate).

tonnes of – “I have tonnes of things to do this weekend.” (“tonnes of” is an exaggeration, so it is the hyperbole.)

“tonnes of” – yeh exaggeration hai, isliye hyperbole.

a mile – “The player missed the basket by a mile .” (no one really misses by a mile – it is an exaggeration.)

“a mile” – itna door se koi miss nahi karta, yeh exaggeration hai.

decade – “…she can sleep for a decade .” (no one sleeps for ten years – it is a hyperbole.)

“decade” – koi 10 saal nahi sota, yeh hyperbole hai.

two seconds – “I will be back in two seconds .” (you cannot really return in two seconds – it is an exaggeration.)

“two seconds” – itni jaldi koi wapas nahi aata, yeh exaggeration hai.

This is a listening and marking activity – you mark the syllables your teacher stresses while reading aloud. As a guide, the first stanza is usually stressed like this (stressed parts shown in capitals):

• IF words COULD sa- TIS -fy the HEART ,
• THE heart MIGHT find LESS care;
• BUT words, LIKE sum-mer BIRDS , de- PART ,
• AND leave but EMP -ty AIR .

The poem has a regular beat (mostly four stresses, then three, in each pair of lines), which gives it its steady, song-like rhythm.

Yeh sun ke mark karne wali activity hai. Stanza 1 ka beat aisa hai – IF words COULD sa-TIS-fy the HEART . Poem mein ek regular beat hai, isliye woh song jaisa lagta hai. Tumhe bas teacher ke padhne par stressed parts underline karne hain.