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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—Faraway Lands:
When the Swallow tells the Prince stories about the “strange lands” he has seen on his travels, he uses rich visual imagery that appeals to the senses:
He told him of the red ibises, who stand in long rows on the banks of the Nile, and catch gold-fish in their beaks; […] of the merchants, who walk slowly by the side of their camels, and carry amber beads in their hands; of the King of the Mountains of the Moon, who is as black as ebony, and worships a large crystal; of the great green snake that sleeps in a palm-tree, and has twenty priests to feed it with honey-cakes.
Here, the heightened use of color is particularly powerful, with the descriptions of “red ibises,” “amber beads,” and the “ebony” King painting a tapestry of color that appeals to the reader’s imagination. The colors mentioned enrich the opulence of the scene, as the reds, golds, and ambers create a palette of decadence and luxury. The richness of the colors also alludes to the scenes of pleasure and consumption being described—for example, the snake is fed with "honey-cakes" by 20 priests. This feeling of excess and decadence is mirrored in the sensual experience of the passage itself, which, in flooding the reader’s imagination with rich and varied images, also seeks to indulge the senses.
The warmth of the colors further expands the sensuality of the imagery to embody the heat of the desert described, which provides a stark contrast to the coldness of the city where the Prince and Swallow are. The juxtaposition between the rich and varied colors of these far-off lands and the “dark lanes” and “black streets” of the city creates a stark visual opposition that highlights the desert’s decadence and the city’s poverty. The choice to appeal to the sense of sight with vivid visual imagery is also pertinent to the telling of the story, with the Swallow trying to appeal to the imagination of the Prince, who can no longer see after having his ruby eyes plucked out to be given to the poor.
