Imagery Differences in Texts

Imagery is defined as language that appeals to one or more of the senses. It allows the writer to convey a deeper message while entertaining the reader at the same time. Often it is used to help the readers connect what the edification is to their own real life experiences. Imagery can be used to intrigue sight, smell, feel, taste, or hearing. Writing is considered not well written without imagery because people enjoy the feeling of a personal connection with the story. The Authors that are featured in Prentice Hall Literature Poetry Collection 4 do an exceptional job of involving imagery in their writings.

The first poem in the collection is “There is No Word For Goodbye” which gives imagery that explains the authors feeling towards her aunt. Poets recurrently use inspirational people as the muse of their writing. In Mary Tall Mountain’s case, she wrote about her aunt. “A shade of feeling rippled the wind-tanned skin.” This sentence is full of imagery. Wind-tanned skin gives the thought of toughened, worked skin that has regularly been exposed to the sun. The reader can almost feel the skin and see the color. Also in the first part, the reader talks about a feeling rippling through Sakoya. One can almost feel the aunt having such a strong emotion that it shakes her whole being. Truly, Ms. Tall Mountain does a great job at imagery in her poem.

Another poem that does very well in imagery is “Daily” with the many similes and metaphors. The author starts out her poem very strongly by immediately opening up to imagery. “These shriveled seeds we plant, corn kernel, dried bean, poke into loosened soil, cover over with measured fingertips.” Nye gives us several sensory conductors including sight, feeling and smell. Sight would include ...

... middle of paper ...

.... Then when the author talks of returning to her dorm room, she calls it dank. This meaning that the dorm room was probably wet and musty smelling in a way. These two written sentences explain what she had to deal with before and after a hurricane as well as explain her mood during this period.

As stated above, imagery is a concept that few writers master well and that only the great can. Being able to include imagery in a script is giving the whole thing life as well as purpose. Imagery can make a boring story suddenly interesting just by appealing it to a few of a human’s natural abilities. Every writer should be well aware of what they are writing as well as continuously monitoring it to make sure their piece of art will be perceived as so by others as well. Imagery is a necessity in all writing and authors should never write without having an audience in mind.