Imagery

Imagery brings all of the senses into poetry. Moreover, imagery allows descriptive settings to come to live. Imagery causes the reader to feel, see and touch whatever is being described through distinct poetic devices. Each element of poetry, such as the setting's physical characteristics, is brought together through figurative language and imagery. For example, William Carlos Williams' poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" describes the setting in which the poem takes place, and through the description of setting and the distinct sounds, the imagery all falls into place. "Glazed with rain water" is such a vivid image that not only triggers the sense of seeing, but the reader can almost feel the rain water and touch the wetness. Moreover, such a simple poem can employ the vivid imagery that all poems try to utilize. Imagery is commonly achieved through the utilization of assonance, sibilance, and other poetic devices. For example, Robert Frost's "Out, Out" creates an overpowering image from the first word to the last. Line 3, which states "Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it" causes the reader to engage in all 5 senses through the sibilance of the "s" and the soft "e" sound that makes the reader feel caught in the wind. Therefore, imagery can be achieved through many literary sound devices, the sound of a poem, and the mere description of the setting of a poem.