Previous
Genre
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
Imagery
Explanation and Analysis—Dark and Desolate:
King uses imagery to elevate his descriptions of racial injustice and of the world he imagines where justice is finally attained. These descriptions are often focused on the contrast between the current reality of injustice and the hopeful future:
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice; now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
The imagery emphasizes the contrast between the worlds of justice and injustice, with specific and evocative language. "Segregation" is not only a "valley"—a powerful metaphor on its own—but a "dark and desolate valley." This imagery describes segregation as a hopeless, frightening place that traps people without hope of escape. But "racial justice" is "sunlit": there is possibility for growth, hope, and warmth, and such a state promises generally better tidings than the dark valley. Similarly, the audience can understand the feeling of being stuck in the "quicksands" of racial injustice. But then "brotherhood" is a "solid rock": an image evoking the stability in the life of Black Americans that could come with greater national brotherhood and unity. Each part of King's imagery is meant to stir up associations like this in the listener, which allows him to more effectively describe the situation of racial injustice and what the alternative could be.
Related Themes:
