Imagery and Figurative Language

Imagery and figurative language allow writers to make the abstract vivid and the familiar strange. Imagery is language that appeals to the senses; figurative language is language that means something beyond its literal sense. Both invite readers to feel and imagine rather than simply understand, and both are central to close reading in every text type, from poetry to advertising.

The senses and imagery

Imagery is not limited to what we can see. A full analysis attends to all the senses:

• Visual imagery (sight): "the amber glow of the streetlamp."
• Auditory imagery (sound): "the crackle of frost underfoot."
• Olfactory imagery (smell): "the sour tang of spilled milk."
• Gustatory imagery (taste): "the metallic bite of blood."
• Tactile imagery (touch): "the sandpaper rasp of his palm."
• Kinesthetic