Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition Practice Exam

What literary device can often create humor through the use of hyperbole or understatement?

1. Paradox

2. Parenthesis

3. Gapping

4. Metonymy

The correct answer is: Parenthesis

The literary device that often creates humor through the use of hyperbole or understatement is parenthesis. Parenthesis involves inserting additional information into a sentence, which can alter its meaning or add emphasis in a way that is often humorous. For example, when a writer includes an aside or commentary that exaggerates or minimizes a point, it can lead to a funny or ironic effect, drawing attention to the absurdity of the situation or character. This technique relies heavily on the contrast between the main idea and the additional information, creating a layered meaning that can elicit laughter or amusement. While other devices like paradox, gapping, and metonymy serve important functions in literature, they do not primarily focus on evoking humor through hyperbole or understatement in the same way that parenthesis does.