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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
Chapter Twenty: New Perils
Explanation and Analysis—Night in the Swamp:
In Chapter 20, Jacobs describes waiting in Snaky Swamp for Uncle Phillip to prepare a new hiding place for her. She uses imagery to describe the horrifying experience she had there:
As evening approached, the number of snakes increased so much that we were continually obliged to thrash them with sticks to keep them from crawling over us. The bamboos were so high and so thick that it was impossible to see beyond a very short distance. [...] It was not long before we heard the paddle of oars, and the low whistle, which had been agreed upon as a signal. [...]I passed a wretched night; for the heat of the swamp, the mosquitos, and the constant terror of snakes, had brought on a burning fever.
Related Themes:
Chapter Thirty: Northward Bound
Explanation and Analysis—Chesapeake Bay:
In Chapter 30, Linda is finally escaping to the North, where slavery is illegal (although there are major loopholes through which the institution extends its reach there). She uses imagery drawing on all the senses to describe the experience of sailing into Chesapeake Bay:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I shall never forget that night. The balmy air of spring was so refreshing! And how shall I describe my sensations when we were fairly sailing on Chesapeake Bay? O, the beautiful sunshine! the exhilarating breeze! and I could enjoy them without fear or restraint. I had never realized what grand things air and sunlight are till I had been deprived of them.
Related Themes:
