Question

review the passage. the hyperbole is shown in bold.
true!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous i had been and am; but why will you say that i am mad? the disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. above all was the sense of hearing acute. i heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. how, then, am i mad? hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly i can tell you the whole story.
from edgar allan poe, \the tell - tale heart\
what is the effect of the hyperbole on the passages meaning or tone?
it produces a feeling of madness.
it suggests that the speaker is wise.
it creates an atmosphere of grandeur.

Explanation:

The hyperbole "I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth" is an exaggerated claim. The speaker in "The Tell - Tale Heart" is trying to prove they are not mad but their extreme and unrealistic claim about hearing everything in heaven and earth actually emphasizes their irrationality, thus producing a feeling of madness. The option suggesting the speaker is wise is incorrect as the hyperbole shows irrationality, and the option about creating an atmosphere of grandeur is not relevant as the context is about the speaker's mental state.

Answer:

It produces a feeling of madness.