Imagery
“An image may occur in a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or, . . . an entire short poem” (Kennedy 661). An image is a few words or sentences that appeal to one or more of the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell). Imagery may be defined as the entire effect of many images taken together to give the reader an experience. Imagery is not just a simple decoration, such as flowers on the table, but a vivid experience painted by the author so as to create a feeling of one of the 5 senses in the reader’s mind. Imagery can be obtained by using personification, alliteration, sound, rhythm, and anything else that helps create for the reader the experience the author intended. You can also look at the imagery an author creates, especially in poetry, to discover the author’s intent or feelings behind his/her poem.
Works Cited
- Harbrace College Handbook, 12th Ed. Horner/Webb/Miller
- Literature, An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, Sixth Edition X.J. Kennedy/Dana Gioia