USING IMAGERY IN YOUR WRITING

Mr. Lambert Writing Unit

WHAT IS IMAGERY

Imagery is using writing to appeal to the five senses: sight, taste, touch, smell, and auditory. We use elements of figurative language to describe an image such as metaphor, simile, and personification.

Image taken from “The Twilight Zone”

WHICH ONE SOUNDS BETTER? 1.The sky

2. The dark sky3.The ever expanding dark sky.4. The ever expanding dark sky that stretched out for miles like an endless sea. The sound of thunder sounded in the back ground and the smell of fresh rain hung in the night around us. It felt as cold as any rainy winter night.

USING METAPHORS: IT WILL BE A PIECE OF CAKE. A metaphor can be defined as

comparing seemingly unlike things for better understanding. A metaphor has

no connective word (like or as)

For example: “The child is a mouse.”

MAKING YOUR OWN METAPHORE Pick an object, person, setting, memory

or anything for that matter. Ryan . Think of the qualities of that thing. For

example. Ryan is silly, funny, often wears a hat, and has a colorful personality.

Think of some think has similar qualities. For example a clown is silly, funny, often wears a hat and is colorful.

Now combine: Ryan is a clown! (remember you can not use connective

words: like or as)

YOUR TURN

Taken from Posh24.com

TEXTUAL EXAMPLES: “My lips , two blushing pilgrims, ready stand/To

smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with a film over it.

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe

Taken from fr. Toonpool.com

USING SIMILES: LIKE COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES A Simile can be defined as a comparison

of two unlike things that that uses like of as. We do this for clarity. The comparison can make your statement more obvious.

For example:He is as big as an elephant.

MAKING YOUR OWN SIMILE Similar to forming a metaphor,

determine a subject. For example, James.

What are some traits that James posses. For example, he is a skilled hunter.

Determine what else might be like a skilled hunter. For example, a lion.

Now combine the two with a connective word (like or as)

James is a skilled hunter like a lion.

YOUR TURN

Taken from eurlog.wordpress.com

TEXTUAL EXAMPLES: “By the day the banished sun circles the earth like a

grieving mother with a lamp.”-The Road by Cormac McCarthy

“ ‘What a curious feeling!” said Alice. “I must be shutting up like a telescope!”

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Taken from victorianweb.org

PERSONIFICATION: GIVING BREATH TO THIS POWERPOINT Personification is when the writer gives

human like qualities to something nonhuman for an abstract meaning.

For example:The tree was breathing with new life.

YOUR TURN

Taken from deviantart.com

TEXTUAL EXAMPLES “…Now Reason is past care/ And frantic

mad with evermore unrest.” “Sonnet 417” Shakespeare

“My heart grew sick…” “The Cask of Amontillado” By Edgar Allan Poe

WHAT ARE EXAMPLES YOU MIGHT HAVE? What are some examples of metaphors,

similes and personification that you notice? Explain why they are examples.