Question

He stops at the ocean’s edge, smiles almost shyly, as if he fears disturbing her, and stretches out a colossal hand. His blue eyes are like lasers in the night. The beams bounce off his fingernails, five hard blue shields. They scan the beach, illuminating shells and sleeping gulls, then focus on her. The porch turns blue, ultraviolet. Her hands, too, are blue. Celia squints through the light, which dulls her eyesight and blurs the palms on the shore. Which of the following is an example of a hyperbole? “smiles almost shyly, as if he fears disturbing her” “and stretches out a colossal hand” “His blue eyes are like lasers in the night.” “The porch turns blue, ultraviolet.”

Answer 1

Answer: An example of hyperbole is "and streches out a colossal hand".

Explanation: Hyperbole is a figure of speech that consists in using exaggeration in a statement which does not have to be taken literally but figuratively. This literary device is mainly used in poetry to put the emphasis on a particular element or idea. In the case of the fragment provided ("and streches a colossal hand"), the focus of attention is on the element "hand" since it has been premodified by the adjective "colossal", which means huge or enormous. In that way, "colossal" is giving the fragment an exaggerated tone.