Imagery in LiteratureImagery in Literature

What is it?How is it achieved?

Imagery is when a writer uses vivid, figurative or descriptive langauge to:

1.appeal to the reader’s senses2.help the reader create a picture in their mind3.add depth to their work4.help the reader feel present in the moment5.communicate the world of the text to the reader

What is imagery?What is imagery?

Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Olfactory Gustatory Tactile Organic

Types of imageryTypes of imagery

This appeals to our sense of sight.

“The crimson liquid spilled from the neck of the white dove, staining and matting its pure, white

feathers.”

Visual ImageryVisual Imagery

This describes sound.

"....Which has its sounds, familiar, like the roarOf trees and crack of branches, common things,

But nothing so like beating on a box“

(From 'An Old Man’s Winter Night' by Robert Frost)

Auditory ImageryAuditory Imagery

This describes a sense of movement or tension.

"Tossing their heads in sprightly dance"

(from 'Daffodils' by W. Wordsworth)

Kinesthetic ImageryKinesthetic Imagery

This helps to summon and deliver smells to readers.

"Gio's socks, still soaked with sweat from Tuesday's P.E. class, filled the classroom with an aroma akin to

that of salty, week-old, rotting fish"

Olfactory ImageryOlfactory Imagery

This illustrates taste, of food or other things.

“Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold“

From the poem "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos

Williams)

Gustatory ImageryGustatory Imagery

This appeals to the reader’s sense of touch.

'The bed linens might just as well be ice and the clothes snow.'

From Robert Frost's "The Witch of Coos"

Tactile ImageryTactile Imagery

This concentrates on recreating internal sensations like hunger, thirst, fear or

fatigue.

“Weary and without hope of rest, I continued my tiring journey.”

Organic ImageryOrganic Imagery

Writers use a variety of techniques including:

Figurative language (metaphor, simile, personification, etc.)Adjectives and descriptive languageComparisonsContrastsAllusionsOnomatopoeia (auditory and kinesthetic) SymbolismConcrete details (e.g. the bag was made of leather)Sensory details (e.g. the bag smelled of leather)

How do writers create How do writers create imagery?imagery?

Some Examples in this PPT were adapted from http://fos.iloveindia.com/imagery-examples.html

ActivityActivityRead the poem ‘In the Hold’ by Jamie McKendrick in your anthology (p 267 and 268)and Read the poem ‘In the Hold’ by Jamie McKendrick in your anthology (p 267 and 268)and complete the tasks below using the information in this PowerPoint and your handout.complete the tasks below using the information in this PowerPoint and your handout.

1. What types of imagery can you find? Make a list of types and examples in your notebook.

2. What is the effect of McKendrick’s imagery in the first three lines?

3. What impression of army life does the poet’s use of imagery give the reader? Give reasons for your answers and refer to evidence from the poem.

4. How does the imagery aid the development of tone in the piece and what tone is created?