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Idioms
Definition of Imagery
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" contain imagery that engages... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines... read full definition
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Vera's Bedroom:
Christie uses detailed imagery when describing the bedroom assigned to schoolmistress Vera Claythorne:
Vera went over to the window and sat down on the window seat. She was faintly disturbed. Everything—somehow—was a little queer [...] She got up and walked restlessly about the room. A perfect bedroom decorated throughout in the modern style. Off-white rugs on the gleaming parquet floor—faintly tinted walls—a long mirror surrounded by lights. A mantelpiece bare of ornaments save for an enormous block of white marble shaped like a bear, a piece of modern sculpture in which was inset a clock.
Unlike the more antiquated settings of many of Christie’s other novels, the house on Soldier Island has been designed “in the modern style,” a detail that becomes important as the characters attempt to identify and catch a serial killer on the island. Claythorne’s room is described with lush imagery, as the narrator notes its “off-white rugs,” the “gleaming parquet floor,” and the muted color palette. An “enormous block of white marble shaped like a bear” catches Vera’s eye due to its highly modern style. Here, Christie’s use of imagery highlights the well-lit and minimalist nature of the building and calls the reader’s attention to several details and objects that will become important later in the story.
