image definition
As a literary device, images consist of descriptive language that can function as a way for the reader to better imagine the world of the literary work and also add symbolism to the work. the images are based on the five senses, namely the details of taste, touch, sight, smell and >sound. images can also refer to details about the movement or sensation of a moving body (kinesthetic images) or a person’s emotions or sensations, such as fear or hunger (organic images or subjective images). the use of images helps the reader develop a more complete understanding of the imaginary world the author has created.
common examples of images
We use images in everyday speech to convey our meaning. Here are some sample images of each of the five senses:
You are reading: Imagery examples in books
- taste: the familiar taste of his grandmother’s cranberry sauce reminded him of his youth.
- sound: the concert was so loud their ears rang for days afterwards.
- sight: the sunset was the most beautiful they had ever seen; the clouds were rimmed in pink and gold.
- smell: After eating the curry, her breath smelled like garlic.
- touch: the bark of the tree was rough against her skin.
importance of images in literature
Examples of images are prevalent in all kinds of literature from cultures around the world. Poets, novelists, and playwrights use images for many reasons. one of the key uses is that the imagery in a piece can help create a mood, like the opening cliché “it was a dark and stormy night”. while this line is too hackneyed for any author to use, it is a good example of images where the reader immediately imagines the kind of setting in which the story might take place. this particular imagery also creates a mood of apprehension. in fact, even shakespeare used this type of opening for his famous play macbeth: the three witches at the beginning speak of “thunder, lightning [and] rain” and “mist and foul air.”
While an author may use images only to help readers understand the fictional world, the details of the images can often be read symbolically. In the Macbeth example above, the thunder and lightning that open the play symbolize both the storm that is already raging in Scotland and the one that is about to break once Macbeth takes the throne. therefore, when analyzing the literature, it is important to consider the imagery used to understand both the mood and the symbolism of the piece.
examples of images in literature
example #1: liking
on rainy afternoons, embroidering with a group of friends on the porch of begonias, she lost the thread of the conversation and a tear of nostalgia salted her palate when she saw the strips of damp earth and the mounds of mud that the worms had risen in the garden. those secret tastes, trumped in the past by oranges and rhubarb, burst forth in uncontrollable urge as she burst into tears. she went back to eating dirt. She did it the first time she did it almost out of curiosity, certain that bad taste would be the best cure for temptation. and, in fact, she couldn’t bear the dirt in her mouth. but she persevered, overcome by her growing anxiety, and little by little she recovered her ancestral appetite, the taste of primary minerals, the unrestrained satisfaction of what was her original food.
(one hundred years of solitude by gabriel garcía márquez)
This passage from One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez talks about one of the character’s pica eating disorders. there are many examples of images that use the sense of taste, including “a tear would salt her palate”, “oranges and rhubarb”, and “the taste of primary minerals”. The images in this excerpt make the experience of an eating disorder much more vivid and imaginable for the reader.
example #2: sound
My little horse must think it’s weird to stop without a farm nearby between the forest and the frozen lake on the darkest afternoon of the year.
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He shakes the bells on his harness to ask if there’s something wrong. the only other sound is the soft wind sweep and fluffy flakes.
(“walking through the woods on a snowy afternoon” by robert frost)
When most people think of Robert Frost’s famous poem “Passing Through the Woods on a Snowy Night,” the final refrain comes to mind: “And miles to go before I sleep.” however, the short poem contains many examples of images that are simple but set the scene well. in this excerpt, there is a juxtaposition of two sounds: the brilliant sound of the rattles on the horse’s harness and the almost silent sound of wind and snowflakes. While the reader knows that it is a dark night, the sense of sound makes the scene even more realistic.
example #3: view
Outside, even through the closed window pane, the world seemed cold. Down in the street, little eddies of wind swirled dust and torn paper into spirals, and although the sun was shining and the sky was a vivid blue, there seemed to be no color in anything except the posters that were plastered everywhere. the black-mustached face peered out from all commanding corners. there was one in the front of the house immediately opposite. big brother is watching you, the caption said, as his dark eyes looked deep into winston’s. Below, at street level, another sign, torn at one corner, flapped erratically in the wind, alternately covering and uncovering the single word Ingsoc. In the distance, a helicopter skimmed down between the rooftops, hovered like a fly for a moment, then curved away again.
(1984 by george orwell)
one of the central concepts of george orwell’s classic 1984 dystopian novel is the pervasive surveillance of this society. this is a world that has its eyes constantly open: “big brother is watching you” is the motto of society, but the world itself is almost colorless. All the main character, Winston, sees is “swirling dust”, “torn paper” and posters of a “face with a black mustache” and “dark eyes”. these sensory details contribute to an overall sense of unease and foreshadow the way the world seems more chilling as the novel progresses.
example #4: smell
In the period of which we speak, a barely conceivable stench reigned in the cities for us, modern men and women. the streets stank of manure, the yards of urine, the stairwells stank of rotten wood and rat droppings, the kitchens of rotten cabbage and mutton fat; the unventilated halls reeked of stale dust, the bedrooms of greasy sheets, damp down comforters, and the pungent, sweet smell of chamber pots. The stench of sulfur rose from the chimneys, the stench of caustic lyes from the tanneries, and from the slaughterhouses came the stench of coagulated blood. the people reeked of sweat and dirty clothes; From their mouths came the stench of rotten teeth, from their bellies that of onions, and from their bodies, if they weren’t too young already, came the stench of rancid cheese and sour milk and tumor disease.
(perfume: a killer’s story by patrick suskind)
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Patrick Suskind’s novel Perfume: A Killer’s Story focuses on a character who has a very keen sense of smell. the novel therefore has numerous examples of images using descriptions of smells. This excerpt comes from the beginning of the novel where Suskind establishes the general palate of smells in 18th century Paris. By using these scents as a backdrop, the reader can better understand the importance of the main character’s skill as a perfumer. the reader is forced to imagine the range of smells in the time and setting of this novel that no longer assail us on a daily basis.
test your knowledge of images
1. choose the best image definition:
a. a technique that uses descriptive details from the five senses. b. a way of seeing things in a new light. c. a way to describe a character’s emotions.
2. What effect do the images produce in this opening passage of George Orwell’s novel 1984?
It was a bright, cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, chin resting on his chest in an effort to escape the vile wind, slid swiftly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not fast enough to prevent a whirlwind of gritty dust. go in with him. the hallway smelled of boiled cabbage and old mats.
a. Since the opening line is in April, this passage creates expectations for Winston Smith to improve his situation during the spring. b. the conflicting details that winston’s building is called victory mansions and smells of boiled cabbage and old rag rugs creates an uneasy feeling in the reader. c. the fact that most of these details are unpleasant (the nasty wind, the gritty dust, and the old carpets) makes the reader understand that winston is a pessimistic man.
3. which of the following lines from robert frost’s “going through the woods on a snowy night” contains pictures?
a. the woods are beautiful, dark and deep b. but I have promises to keep c. and miles to go before I can sleep
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