Hyperbole
HYPERBOLE is an extreme exaggeration that writers use for effect.
Example: I went to a million stores looking for the perfect pair of shoes.
To prepare: tape two pieces of blank 8 ½ by 11 paper top to bottom so you have an 8 ½ by
22 inch sheet of paper
A Tall Tale combines American folklore and hyperbole. The hero of the story is
larger than life. A Tall Tale hero often creates something found in America as a result of his
exploits.
Part of the Legend of Pecos Bill
In the legends of the American West, Pecos Bill was a larger-than-life
cowboy known for his amazing exploits. Created by journalists in the late 1800s,
Pecos Bill was born in Texas and raised by coyotes after his parents lost him
while crossing the Pecos River.
Pecos Bill also was a rancher. He invented the rope lasso using a
rattlesnake. After his cows ate all the grass in Texas, he moved to New Mexico,
where he dug the Rio Grande to get water for his cattle.
One day a tornado appeared on the horizon. When the twister approached,
Bill jumped on it and rode it like a bucking bronco. In an effort to shake Bill, the
tornado rained so hard that it carved out the Grand Canyon. Bill finally fell off in
California, hitting the ground with such force that he formed Death Valley.
Part of the Legend of Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan was a lumberjack. His companion was Babe the Blue Ox. Paul and
Babe created the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota when they wandered aimlessly through
Minnesota during a blizzard. The foot prints they left behind created the lakes when the
snow melted.
Write a tall tale.
FIRST Create your hero
SECOND Find something in nature; a mountain range, ocean, river, lakes, desert, crater, or
anything else that inspires you
THIRD: Write the tall tale that explains how your hero created the object
Make sure you use lots of hyperbole.