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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
Part 2
Explanation and Analysis—Elizabeth’s Anxiety:
The longer Elizabeth waits for the return of her husband, the more anxious she becomes. Here, the narrator uses imagery in order to capture Elizabeth’s nervous tension over four hours into waiting for Walter to come home from the mines:
It was a few minutes past nine. She was startled by the rapid chuff of the winding-engine at the pit, and the sharp whirr of the brakes on the rope as it descended. Again she felt the painful sweep of her blood, and she put her hand to her side, saying aloud, “Good gracious!—it’s only the nine o’clock deputy going down,” rebuking herself.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Odor of Chrysanthemums:
After finding out that Walter has died in the mines, Elizabeth prepares her home for the arrival of his body. The narrator uses imagery in this moment to bring readers more closely into the melancholic and dreary scene:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Then she lighted a candle and went into the tiny room. The air was cold and damp, but she could not make a fire, there was no fireplace. She set down the candle and looked round. The candle-light glittered on the lustre-glasses, on the two vases that held some of the pink chrysanthemums, and on the dark mahogany. There was a cold, deathly smell of chrysanthemums in the room.
Related Themes:
