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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
Imagery
Explanation and Analysis—Confused Senses:
Throughout "To Build a Fire," London mainly uses tactile imagery to emphasize the effects of cold on the man's body: his face and hands grow numb in the cold air, and feeling returns in the form of pain and tingling when he beats his hands or stamps his feet. Of all the senses, touch is perhaps the most instinctual—while visual and auditory information enter the brain through specialized organs like the eyes and ears, tactile information can come from almost anywhere in the body. Touch is also the most reliable sense—while it is fairly easy to misread or mishear something, one is far less likely to "mis-feel."
But once the man begins to freeze to death, he finds himself no longer able to rely on his most basic sense:
The man looked down at his hands in order to locate them, and found them hanging on the ends of his arms. It struck him as curious that one should have to use his eyes in order to find out where his hands were.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Frozen Spittle:
When it comes to descriptions of the setting, "To Build a Fire" relies mainly on visual imagery, and the absence of other types of imagery serve to underscore the bleakness of the landscape and the man's isolation—there are no descriptions of sound, for example, because it is silent, and the man is alone. There is, however, one key moment in which London utilizes auditory imagery:
Unlock with LitCharts A+As he turned to go on, he spat speculatively. There was a sharp, explosive crackle that startled him. He spat again. And again, in the air, before it could fall to the snow, the spittle crackled.
Related Themes:
