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
Key Examples in Nectar in a Sieve
Chapter 10
Explanation and Analysis—Deepavali:
Rukmani uses rich imagery to describe her family's celebration of Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights:
As it grew dark we lit the tapers and wicks and encircled our dwelling with light. A feathery breeze was stirring, setting the flames and dancing, their reflections in the black glistening oil cavorting too. In the town and in the houses nearby, hundreds of small beacons were beginning to flash; now and then a rocket would tear into the sky, break and pour out its riches like previous jewels into the darkness.
Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis—Kunthi's Costume:
One night, after secretly seeking medical assistance from Kenny, Rukmani unexpectedly encounters Kunthi in the street. She describes the other woman's appearance using vivid imagery:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I saw her mouth forming these words, her eyes half-hooded and mocking, then I saw her face suddenly close to mine [...] I saw her head fall back, the thin sari she wore slipped from her shoulders. Then I saw that it was not tied at the waist but below the navel, like a strumpets, and that she was naked below. Sandalwood paste smeared her swelling hips, under her breasts were dark painted shadows which gave them sensuous depth, the nipples were tipped with red.
Related Themes:
Chapter 23
Explanation and Analysis:
Rukmani uses vivid imagery to describe the tannery's invasive presence in her village:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Somehow I had always felt the tannery would eventually be our undoing. I had known it since the day the carts had come with their loads of bricks and doisy dusty men, staining the clear soft greens that had once coloured our village and cleaving its cool silences with clamour. Since then it had spread like weeds in an untended garden, strangling whatever life grew in its way.
Related Themes:
