Literary Analysis: Imagery

Imagery is language that appeals to one or more of the five senses. It is also called sensory language.

Writers use it to describe something so clearly that readers can visualize it, or picture it in their minds.

Writers also use imagery to create a mood or overall feeling within the reader. As you read prose and

poetry, think about how the images make you feel as well as what they describe.

In the following poem, the poet uses vivid imagery. To better

understand the poem’s meaning, read it more than once.

Guiding Question: How does the imagery in the poem help the poet

communicate ideas?

Analyze What mood does the invented words “mud-luscious” and “puddle-

wonderful” create? Choose a word from the mood word list and explain your

choice

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In the margin, choose a

word from the mood word

list to identify what you’re

feeling.

IMAGERY & MOOD

MOOD = the emotional response the text creates for the audience

POSITIVE MOOD WORDS NEGATIVE MOOD WORDS amused

awed

bouncy

calm

cheerful

chipper

confident

contemplative

content

determined

dignified

dreamy

ecstatic

empowered

energetic

enlightened

enthralled

excited

exhilarated

flirty

giddy

grateful

harmonious

hopeful

hyper

idyllic

joyous

jubilant

liberating

light-hearted

loving

mellow

nostalgic

optimistic

passionate

peaceful

playful

pleased

refreshed

rejuvenated

relaxed

relieved

satiated

satisfied

sentimental

silly

surprised

sympathetic

thankful

thoughtful

touched

trustful

vivacious

warm

welcoming

aggravated

annoyed

anxious

apathetic

apprehensive

barren

brooding

cold

confining

confused

cranky

crushed

cynical

depressed

desolate

disappointed

discontented

distressed

drained

dreary

embarrassed

enraged

envious

exhausted

fatalistic

foreboding

frustrated

futile

gloomy

grumpy

haunting

heartbroken

hopeless

hostile

indifferent

infuriated

insidious

intimidated

irate

irritated

jealous

lethargic

lonely

melancholic

merciless

moody

morose

nauseated

nervous

nightmarish

numb

overwhelmed

painful

pensive

pessimistic

predatory

rejected

restless

scared

serious

sick

somber

stressed

suspenseful

tense

terrifying

threatening

uncomfortable

vengeful

violent

worried

Circle any words you do not know. Choose at least one to look up in the dictionary!