IMAGERY

Imagery is the use of vivid descriptive language to create pictures, or images, in the reader's mind.

"Swift Things Are Beautiful" by Elizabeth Coatsworth

Swift things are beautiful:
Swallows and deer,
And lightning that falls
Bright-veined and clear,
Rivers and meteors,
Wind in the wheat,
The strong-withered horse,
The runner's sure feet.

And slow things are beautiful:
The closing of day,
The pause of the wave
That curves downward tospray,
The ember that crumbles,
The opening flower,
And the ox that moves on
In the quiet of power.

Can you use imagery to describe things that you do evry day? Could you describe brushing your hair without using the words "hair" or "brush"? Sure you could, how about saying that you are grooming your long, shiny tresses!

Let's see if we can use imagery to make daily phrases take on new life. Choose one of the tasks below and write a sentence/sentences that have the same meaning - but you can not use any of the words listed after the phrase. Use your powers of imagination - and a thesaurus - to help you on your way.

 

1. "roasting a hot dog" roast, hot dog, fire, stick

 

2. "eating a piece of birthday cake" birthday cake, fork

 

3. "playing fetch with a dog" dog, run, fetch, play

 

4. "sailing" boat, sail, water

 

5. "watching television" watch, television, T.V., look

One way to work imagery into your writingt is to use one or more of your five senses (hearing, taste, touch, smell, sight) to describe things.

Use the chart below to put the word or phrase from the following poems (written by Mary Fumento) under the heading of the sense to which it appealed.

Song of Autumn

Autumn's change, brings out the range
Of colors bright and bold
Tints of brown fall to the ground
With sprinkles of red and gold
Crisp, cool air, sky blue and fair
The song of autumn is told
The days flow, the north wind knows
Winter's coming - it's getting cold

 

Winter Whispers

The wind whispers when it is cold
Trees are white and windows frosted
A hush covers all
Peaceful, silent
Winter whispers as snowflakes drift

 

Aspens on the Wind

Flowing and free and fluttering
Light and peaceful and innocent
As angel wings on air
Lullabies in hushed tones
Golden, harmonic whispers
The song of trembling aspens on the wind

 

TOUCH

SMELL

HEARING

TASTING

SEEING

 

Creating poetry requires the use of imagery. Think of some imagery words to describe some part of nature - such as the sea, a brook, clouds, a tree, a river, an animal, etc. List the words in a table.

Topic: _______________________

TOUCH

SMELL

HEARING

TASTING

SEEING

Now, create a poem about what you described. Use imagery (some of the words you have listed) to describe the aspect of nature that you have chosen.

  1. Think of images, descriptive words, and figurative language that best describe your topic.
  2. Jot them down in web form or in a list as you think of them.
  3. Turn your ideas into a poem. As you do this, revise the lines until they look, feel, and sound right to you. Draft, revise, and edit.
  4. Now, for the real test, read it ALOUD. Does it really paint a clear picture of your topic?
  5. Share your poem with someone else. Listen to his or her critique of your poem. A critique is when someone tells you the strengths and weaknesses of your work. DON'T GET MAD, LISTEN to the suggestions. Revise your work. Remember, the BEST writers are REWRITERS!
  6. Give your poem a title.
  7. Type and choose a font that adds to the look of your poem.
  8. Illustrate your poem.

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