A Pair of Silk Stockings

by Kate Chopin

A Pair of Silk Stockings: Imagery 2 key examples

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—The Feel of the Stockings:

Chopin uses tactile imagery to communicate the profound effect that a single pair of silk stockings has on Mrs. Sommers. This moment marks a turning point in the story:

She wore no gloves. By degrees she grew aware that her hand had encountered something very soothing, very pleasant to touch. She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of silk stockings.

Explanation and Analysis—The Restaurant:

Visual and auditory imagery join the tactile imagery of the silk stockings as Mrs. Sommers lunches at a restaurant. In this passage, Chopin orchestrates a scene of perfect contentment:

The damask was even more spotless than it had seemed through the window, and the crystal more sparkling. There were quiet ladies and gentlemen, who did not notice her, lunching at the small tables like her own. A soft, pleasing strain of music could be heard, and a gentle breeze was blowing through the window. She tasted a bite, and she read a word or two, and she sipped the amber wine and wiggled her toes in the silk stockings.

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