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"You know what? We've just hatched a new METAPHOR!"

MORE ABOUT IMAGERY.

Writers use images to help readers visualize or see mental pictures. These images appeal to the imagination of the reader because they engage one of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. Imagery is a great literary technique because it connects the reader to personal experiences and vivid memories. For Notes about the lesson below, click on the book image.

Images can be literal or figurative.

• LITERAL IMAGE: A literal image is very realistic and needs no explanation or interpretation. It clearly depicts what it means.

• EXAMPLE: The old, black-clad widow hovered over Mamá, clasping and unclasping her bony hands. [p.15]       The adjectives old, black-clad, and bony need no further explanation.

• FIGURATIVE IMAGE: A figurative image means more than what it says, suggesting certain meanings that must be interpreted. Writers create figurative images in two major ways:

• Simile: - A simile is an image that relies on the prepositions like or as to compare two things which are actually unlike each other.
  EXAMPLE: When Lupita mentioned she would beg for money, the word hit Salvador like a clap of thunder. [p. 70]       A thunderclap is a single loud noise of thunder that startlessurprises or scares people. Lupita's comment got a strong reaction from Salvador.

• Metaphor: A metaphor is an implied comparison. It makes the comparison by identifying one thing with another without using the words "like" or "as."
  EXAMPLE: There came a torrent of gasping, choked weeping but no words save for except for , "Hernando, Hernando!" [p. 15]      A torrent is a large amount of water flowing rapidly in one direction. The interpretation is that Carmela was sobbing, shedding many tears.

Reading Activity: Recognizing Imagery

Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, and Adverbs are all used metaphorically to create images. Read the following sentences from Chapter 6, Click the part of speech of the italicized word [Green is correct; red means incorrect], and then read the note that interprets the image or metaphor.

1. Salvador dragged Lupita back to the park and cuffed her. [p. 71]   VerbVerb/NounNoun  To hit someone lightly with one's hand. Note that the cuff of a shirt or jacket extends down to the hand. To a native speaker, dragged and cuffed would be literal images.

2. Without a word, Salvador stalked off. [p. 71]   AdjectiveAdjective/VerbVerb   To stalk off is to walk away angrily with long strides. The word implies anger.

3. The idle men were talking feverishly of ways to get into the United States. [p. 71]   AdjectiveAdjective/AdverbAdverb  The interpretation of this metaphor is that the men felt great urgency about getting to the United States.

4. Bewildered Confused , puzzled , Salvador stopped, whirled  Turned around quickly  around, and stood waiting as a gangling  skinny or very thin  youth came shouldering his way through the market crowd toward them. [p. 74]    AdjectiveAdjective/VerbVerb  The image is of a boy walking by leading with his shoulder to get through a crowd. Came shouldering is another way to express the verb phrase was shouldering.

5. Salvador threaded his way among the trucks with Lupita following him until they found Bartolo smoking at the rear of a large green truck with board sides. [p. 76]  Verb Verb/AdjectiveAdjective The image created by this metaphorical use of the verb threaded is of Salvador passing through narrow spaces between the trucks. Literally, one threads a needle.

6. Looking back to their bench, she saw that it had a new tenant, a man who had lain on the sodden grass. [p. 76] Verb Verb/NounNoun   The literal meaning of tenant is one who rents a home or apartment. Here it signifies a homeless person who now has a bench to sleep on.

7. Suddenly, Lupita heard shouts. She sank down as Salvador blew out the match.
[p. 83]    Noun Noun/Verb Verb  The interpretation is that Lupita wanted to disappear just as a ship does when it sinks at sea. She did not want to be seen by the railroad guards.

8. "Lupita, get your head down," Salvador hissed, as he ducked his head out of sight below the turret.
[p. 83]    Verb Verb/AdjectiveAdjective   The literal definition of the verb duck is to lower one's head or body very quickly to avoid being seen.

9. Lupita held her breath in terror. Would they be flushed out too? [p. 84]   VerbVerb/ AdverbAdverb  The literal meaning of flush out is to get rid of waste material with water. Metaphorically, Lupita is worried that they will be detected and sent back to Mexico as Rosario's family and others were. [Would be flushed out is the complete passive verb phrase.]

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