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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
Key Examples in Cathedral
Imagery
Explanation and Analysis—Robert’s Appearance:
When describing his experience of meeting Robert (his wife’s blind friend) for the first time, the narrator uses imagery and a simile, as seen in the following passage:
I’ve never met or personally known anyone who was blind. This blind man was late forties, a heavyset, balding man with stooped shoulders, as if he carried a great weight there. He wore brown slacks, brown cordovan shoes, a light-brown shirt, a tie, a sports coat. Spiffy. He also had this full beard. But he didn’t carry a cane and he didn’t wear dark glasses. I’d always thought dark glasses were a must for the blind.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Tape:
In the backstory that the narrator shares at the beginning of “Cathedral,” readers learn that the narrator’s wife has been corresponding with her blind friend Robert via cassette tape for over 10 years. At some point in the past, she asked the narrator to listen to one of the tapes. The narrator recalls this scene, using imagery in the process:
Unlock with LitCharts A+First she inserted the tape into the player and adjusted a couple of dials. Then she pushed a lever. The tape squeaked and someone began to talk in this loud voice. She lowered the volume. After a few minutes of harmless chitchat, I heard my own name rasped out by this stranger, this man I didn’t even know! And then this: “From all you’ve said about him, I can only conclude—” But we were interrupted, a knock at the door, something, and we didn’t get back to the tape. Maybe it was just as well. I’d heard enough, anyway.
Related Themes:
