1. Imagery / Persona

2. What is Imagery? An image is a vividly imagined detail that speaks to your sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. An image is a vividly imagined detail that speaks to your sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. Poets ask you to take a closer look at the world – to take in the textures and shapes of clouds, the looks on faces in the crowd, the dartings and peckings of birds. Poets ask you to take a closer look at the world – to take in the textures and shapes of clouds, the looks on faces in the crowd, the dartings and peckings of birds.

3. More about Imagery The images we grasp with our senses make poetry concrete – they bring our eyes and ears and nerve endings into play. Concrete, sensory details take us into a world of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations. The images we grasp with our senses make poetry concrete – they bring our eyes and ears and nerve endings into play. Concrete, sensory details take us into a world of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations. Concrete details are the opposite from abstract ideas. Concrete details are the opposite from abstract ideas. Abstract ideas like happiness, freedom, and honour “draw us away” from concrete experience toward large categories and general labels. Abstract ideas like happiness, freedom, and honour “draw us away” from concrete experience toward large categories and general labels.

4. Persona Persona is the voice speaking to you in a poem. This voice may be different from that of the poet as a person. Persona is the voice speaking to you in a poem. This voice may be different from that of the poet as a person. When reading a poem you may need to ask “who is speaking? And to whom?” When reading a poem you may need to ask “who is speaking? And to whom?”

5. Distance between poet and persona Varies greatly from poem to poem. Varies greatly from poem to poem. A poet may share with you real-life experiences and personal feelings - confessional poetry. A poet may share with you real-life experiences and personal feelings - confessional poetry. A poem may present a guarded or edited version of the human being behind the poem. – only one part of the poet’s personality. A poem may present a guarded or edited version of the human being behind the poem. – only one part of the poet’s personality. A poet may adopt the stance of the detached observer A poet may adopt the stance of the detached observer The persona may be an imaginary character very different from the poet. The persona may be an imaginary character very different from the poet.