Final answer:
The predominant literary device used in Victor Hernandez Cruz's poem 'Problems with Hurricanes' is hyperbole, which exaggerates the dangers posed by flying fruit in a hurricane to humorous effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
Literary Device in 'Problems with Hurricanes'
The literary device predominantly used in Victor Hernandez Cruz’s poem “Problems with Hurricanes” is hyperbole. Hyperbole is an exaggeration or overstatement used to emphasize a point or to produce a dramatic effect. The poem humorously exaggerates the dangers of fruit in a hurricane to highlight the unpredictable nature of such natural disasters. Cruz’s use of hyperbole injects humor into the situation by taking a commonplace event – fruit being blown around by the wind – and elevating it to a comically serious hazard.
While the poem may also contain elements of personification and metaphor, it is the exaggerated descriptions that dominate Cruz's verse. For example, the threat posed by a flying guava is shown to be more dangerous than one might expect in the severity of a storm. This exaggeration is characteristic of hyperbole, making it the central literary device in this work.