Poetic Terms Dictionary
Technique

Imagery

From Latin imago: likeness. Central to all poetry; the Imagists (1910s) made precise, unadorned images their sole criterion for excellence.

Definition

Language that evokes any of the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to create vivid mental experience.

Example

Keats: 'The beaded bubbles winking at the brim, / And purple-stainèd mouth' — visual, tactile, taste imagery combined.

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