Elements of Poetry: Imagery

Imagery refers to the details poets include that appeal to one of your senses; that is, the details cause you to feel something, hear something, smell something, taste something, or see something. This can only be done through concrete, specific details that trigger a response from your everyday life. We see the sun rise and set, we hear children yelling and horns honking, we smell bread baking; we feel the bitter sting of cold wind, and we taste the bitterness of vinegar. Poems that include these details trigger emotional responses from our memories and therefore create reactions in the reader.

Sometimes the imagery in a poem can refer to a pattern of related details. For example, there may be patterns of light and dark imagery, and they may convey a meaning beyond what is being literally described. They are then called metaphorical or symbolic images. Light and dark images might indicate knowledge or ignorance or death.