Imagery
Encyclopedia
Imagery is used in literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...

 to refer to descriptive language that evokes emotional responses. It is useful as it allows an author to add depth and understanding to his work, like a sculptor adding layer and layer to his statue, building it up into a beautiful work of art.

Forms of imagery (with examples)

Visual imagery is perhaps the most frequently used form.
  • The crimson
    Crimson
    Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...

     liquid spilled from the neck of the white dove, staining and matting its pure, white feathers.


Auditory imagery represents a sound.
  • The bells chimed 2 o'clock and Daniel got ready for school.
  • Onomatopoeia: a word that makes a sound.


Kinetic imagery represents movement topo manda
  • as in Wordsworth
    William Wordsworth
    William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....

    's poem Daffodils
    I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
    "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is a poem by William Wordsworth.It was inspired by an April 15, 1802 event in which Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, came across a "long belt" of daffodils...

    : "tossing their heads in sprightly dance"


Olfactory imagery represents a tu vieja.
  • 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.


Gustatory imagery represents a taste.
  • The sweet marinara sauce
    Marinara Sauce
    Marinara sauce is a southern Italian tomato sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs , and onion. However, there are many variations. Some of these include the addition of capers, olives, anchovies, and/or spices....

     makes up for the bland sea-shell pasta that Jeffrey served.
  • Tumbling through the ocean water after being overtaken by the monstrous wave, Mark unintentionally took a gulp of the briny, bitter mass, causing him to cough and gag.


Tactile imagery represents touch.
  • Yalimar dug her feet into the wet sand, burying her toes inside the beach as cold waves lapped at her ankles.
  • The clay
    Clay
    Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...

     oozed between Jeremy's fingers as he let out a squeal of pure glee.


Imagery can be showcased in many forms, such as metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...

s and simile
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the words "like", "as". Even though both similes and metaphors are forms of comparison, similes indirectly compare the two ideas and allow them to remain distinct in spite of their similarities, whereas...

s.

A simile is a literary device where the writer employs the words "like" or "as" to compare two different ideas. It can be a strong word to use as a describing word in a simile or metaphor.
  • Yesenia and her boyfriend soared high like two doves in love.
  • I am as tricky as a fox.
  • Angel's heart, like a candy store, has a hundred variations of sweetness.
  • Tailaya's eyes sparkle like a crystal ball.
  • Selena's hair is like a stormy sea.
  • Dorian is acting like a clown.
  • I am as red as a tomato when my kids fail their quiz and don't study!


A metaphor is similar to a simile, however this literary device makes a comparison without the use of "like" or "as".
  • Mister S's classes are intricate ice sculptures in summer.
  • Big Daddy's face is a garden.
  • Paola's eyes were endless pools of beauty.
  • Dasean's voice was an explosion of sound.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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