Literary terms · AP English Literature, AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
Imagery
Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses to create vivid experiences and convey meaning.
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What it means
Imagery uses sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and motion to make a scene concrete. Beyond vividness, imagery carries meaning: patterns of images can build tone, reveal a character's state of mind or develop a theme.
The key to analyzing imagery is asking what the images have in common and what they suggest.
Example
A poem about an aging parent describes 'the kitchen clock, its tick grown loud', 'the tap's slow drip', and 'dust on the radio dial.' The images of time and silence suggest a household where life has slowed and the speaker now notices what used to go unheard.
On the exam
AP Lit scorers reward explaining how a pattern of imagery contributes to meaning. 'The author uses imagery' with no explanation earns little.
Lessons and practice questions
Related terms
- MetaphorA figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another, without using like or as, to suggest a resemblance.
- SymbolAn object, character, place or action that represents a larger idea beyond its literal meaning.
- MotifA recurring image, idea, word or situation in a work that helps develop its themes.
- PathosAn appeal to the audience's emotions, values or imagination to make them more receptive to an argument.