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"And as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen
Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name."
- William Shakespeare from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Imagery
Writers depend on a variety of literary techniques in their writing. One favorite is called imagery, or language that appeals to the senses. Imagery helps create a vivid experience for the reader.
Imagine you are sitting in a swing on your front porch enjoying a perfect afternoon with wonderful weather. List the details about that day that make it so enjoyable. The chart with images that appeal to each of the senses is below.
| Sight | dazzling, glittering, twinkling |
|---|---|
| Sound | clinking, buzzing, jangling |
| Smell | aromatic, earthy, perfumed |
| Touch | cushioned, crisp, fluffy |
| Taste | refreshing, sweet, tangy |
Read the poem "Porch Swing in September" by Ted Kooser. Hover your mouse over the words and phrases that provide imagery for the poem. When you find one, the passage will turn yellow yellow.
The porch swing hangs fixed in a morning sun
that bleaches its gray slats, its flowered cushion
whose flowers have faded, like those of summer,
and a small brown spider has hung out her web
on a line between porch post and chain
so that no one may swing without breaking it.
She is saying it's time that the swinging were done with,
time that the creaking and pinging and popping
that sang through the ceiling were past,
time now for the soft vibrations of moths,
the wasp tapping each board for an entrance,
the cool dewdrops to brush from her work
every morning, one world at a time.
