Read the poem. In this excerpt, the speaker addresses a songbird. excerpt from "To a Skylark" by Percy Bysshe Shelley We look before and after, And pine for what is not: Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought. Question How does the use of hyperbole in this excerpt affect the meaning? Responses It offers an element of hope for human beings. It offers an element of hope for human beings. It shows that the speaker is similar to the skylark. It shows that the speaker is similar to the skylark. It implies that the skylark has at times experienced grief. It implies that the skylark has at times experienced grief. It suggests that human beings cannot escape sorrow. It suggests that human beings cannot escape sorrow.