Onomatopoeia, Hyperbole, & Repetition

Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is the imitation of natural sounds in word form. These words help us form mental pictures about the things, people, or places that are described.

Examples buzz hiss roar woof bang pop hiss sizzle

Go to the next slide and listen to Todd Rundgren sing “Onomatopoeia”

Onomatopoeia every time I see ya My senses tell me hubba And I just can’t disagree I get a feeling in my heart that I can’t describe It’s sort of lub, dub, lub, dub A sound in my head that I can’t describe It’s sort of zoom, zip, hiccup, drip Ding, dong, crunch, crack, bark, meow, whinnie, quack Onomatopoeia in proximity ya Rearrange my brain in a strange cacophony I get a feeling somewhere that I can’t describe It’s sort of uh, uh, uh, uh A sound in my head that I can’t describe It’s sort of whack, whir, wheeze, whine Sputter, splat, squirt, scrape Clink, clank, clunk, clatter Crash, bang, beep, buzz Ring, rip, roar, retch Twang, toot, tinkle, thud Pop, plop, plunk, pow Snort, snuk, sniff, smack Screech, splash, squish, squeak Jingle, rattle, squeal, bong Honk, hoot, hack, belch

See how Danielle Caryl used onomatopoeia in her poem “Noises” on the next slide.

Noises By Danielle Caryl The click of the clock, the creak of the stair, The squeak of a mouse and the swoosh of the air. The groan of the house as it settles below, And outside the window, the patter of snow. The scruff of the dog’s paws below where I rest, The rattle of the window that seems to face West. The jingle of bells from a wind chime next door The unearthly sounds of a truly loud snore. The crunching of snow under an animal’s feet, The honk of a horn from right down the street. So many noises I just want to weep, Is it too much to ask for some sleep?

Hyperbole Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect. It may be confused with a simile because it often compares two items. The difference is that with a hyperbole the comparison is an exaggeration.

Examples I could sleep for a year. This box weighs a ton. His eyes were as round as saucers. I nearly died laughing. I'm so hungry; I could eat a horse. I've told you a million times not to exaggerate.