Poetry—Meaning
P14 Hyperbole and Understatement and P15 Antithesis
Match Race
Directions: label each example below A (antithesis), H (hyperbole), or U (understatement).
1. _____ It’s a slow burg–I spent a couple of weeks there one day. -Carl Sandburg
2. _____ Too black for heaven, and yet too white for hell. - John Dryden
3. _____ A serious injury stings a bit.
4. _____ Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never
give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the
apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. –Winston Churchill
5. _____ I’m the most irresponsible person in the world. -Mike Tyson
6. _____ Rude words bring about sadness, but kind words inspire joy.
7. _____ Death casts a gloom.
8. _____ I’m so ahead of my time my parents haven’t met yet. -Big L
9. _____ Bill Gates is financially secure.