Imagery | Creative Writing | MELC- Based Lesson

Imagery is the use of language which appeal to our senses. Writers want their readers engaged to their literary pieces through the use of words that create images. This makes the readers to have full understanding of what they read. There are five types of imagery.

Visual imagery (sight)

This appeals to the sense of sight. Readers can visualize the appearance of person, animal, object, place, or a phenomenon.

Examples: My mother bought a floral blanket from an online store.

                 I swept the scattered, dried leaves in our small backyard.

Auditory imagery (hearing)

This appeals to the sense of hearing. This allows the readers to experience the scenes or events with the involvement of sounds.

Examples: The cinema was filled with loud scream of the horrified moviegoers.

                  His grandfather whistled the tune of his favorite song.

Olfactory imagery (smell)

This appeals to the sense of smell. Readers can imagine the scents present in the scenes or events.

Examples: The mango growers love the sweet scent of ripe mangoes.

                  My friend sprayed rosy perfume in the room that triggered the allergies of her seatmates.

Tactile imagery (touch)

This appeals to the sense of touch. This type of imagery also describes feeling. Readers can feel the emotions of characters or personas and they can visualize movements present in the scenes or events.

Examples: I accidentally threw the lid of casserole on the floor because it is hot.   

                 The small girl cuddled the soft teddy bear that I donated.        

Gustatory imagery (taste)

This appeals to the sense of taste. Readers can imagine the tastes of the food present in poems and stories.

Examples: They enjoyed eating the sweet, strawberry cake my mother baked using her brand new oven.

                  Juicy, fried chicken is a must in my birthday celebration next week.

By understanding imagery, you can have a better sensory experience when you read literary pieces. Understanding the language used in a poem or in a story can make you appreciate what the works of the writers.