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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 One, Chapter 3 – Gautama
Explanation and Analysis—Gautama's Body Language:
The visual imagery used to describe the Buddha conveys his state of enlightenment and peace. The following passage from Chapter 3 contains Siddhartha's first impression of him:
[The Buddha's] silent face was neither cheerful nor woeful: he seemed to be smiling inwardly. With a calm, silent, hidden smile not unlike a healthy child’s, the Buddha walked, wearing the cloak and setting his feet down like all his monks, according to a precise regulation. But his face and his steps, his silently lowered gaze, his silently hanging arm, and every last finger on his silently hanging hand spoke of peace, spoke of perfection, did not seek, did not imitate, breathed gently in an everlasting calm, in an everlasting light, an inviolable peace.
Related Themes:
Part Two, Chapter 9 – The Ferryman
Explanation and Analysis—The River(s):
The evolving visual imagery of the river mirrors Siddhartha's journey toward enlightenment. At first, the narrator describes the river in literal, physical terms—a more common form of visual imagery. This happens because Siddhartha sees it as a mere river; he appreciates its beauty but does not yet know its true depth or power. In Chapter 9, he gazes at the river in wonder:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Tenderly he gazed at the streaming water, at the transparent green, at the crystalline lines of its mysterious pattern. He saw bright beads rising from the depths, silent bubbles drifting on the surface, sky blue reflected there. The river gazed at him with a thousand eyes, with green, with white, with crystalline, with sky blue eyes. How he loved the water, how it delighted him, how grateful he was to it! In his heart he heard the voice speaking, the newly awakened voice, and it said to him: “Love this water! Stay with it! Learn from it!”
Related Themes:
Part Two, Chapter 12 – Govinda
Explanation and Analysis—The River(s):
The evolving visual imagery of the river mirrors Siddhartha's journey toward enlightenment. At first, the narrator describes the river in literal, physical terms—a more common form of visual imagery. This happens because Siddhartha sees it as a mere river; he appreciates its beauty but does not yet know its true depth or power. In Chapter 9, he gazes at the river in wonder:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Tenderly he gazed at the streaming water, at the transparent green, at the crystalline lines of its mysterious pattern. He saw bright beads rising from the depths, silent bubbles drifting on the surface, sky blue reflected there. The river gazed at him with a thousand eyes, with green, with white, with crystalline, with sky blue eyes. How he loved the water, how it delighted him, how grateful he was to it! In his heart he heard the voice speaking, the newly awakened voice, and it said to him: “Love this water! Stay with it! Learn from it!”
Related Themes:
