1. IMAGERY “Using the Five Senses”
February 19, 2013

2. What is IMAGERY?
Imagery is the use of vivid descriptions to create pictures, or images, in the reader's mind.

3. Evoking the Five Senses
Imagery can give the reader an impression of any of the five senses.

4. SIGHT “The stunning orange and red swirls of the flame burned my
eyes like a million suns.”
An orange glow filled the room.
The green willows blew in the wind.
The rusty, brown piggybank was cracked open.

5. “The sonic boom from the engines was so loud my ear drums felt
HEARING
“The sonic boom from the engines was so loud my ear drums felt
like exploding.”
The crackling leaves beneath my feet gave away my location.
The baby’s cry pierced through the night air.

6. “I could smell the sweet, baked goodness of my grandmother’s
kitchen.”
The sweaty clothes made their presence known in the room.
The dry earth’s dusty odor reminded me I was in Arizona.

7. “The sourness of the lemon made my tongue sting and my lips
TASTE
“The sourness of the lemon made my tongue sting and my lips
pucker.”
The glass of lemonade was sour and sweet.
The pink sweetness of the watermelon told me it was summertime.

8. TOUCH
“The rabbit’s fur felt softer than one hundred cashmere sweaters.”
Grandma’s rough skin was a sign of her age.
The damp jeans stuck to my skin.
I couldn’t escape the hot July sun.

9. How to Create Imagery Powerful Descriptions/Words Similes Metaphors
Personification
Onomatopoeia

10. So what? Why should writing include imagery?
Makes the reader more excited to read the poem or story.
Adds creativity to the poem or story.
The reader feels as if he or she is actually there with the characters.

11. Key Words/Context Clues
Sight: any color, look, see, witness, glare, watch, landscape, animals
Hearing: listen, crackle, heard, noise, pop, boom, splash, cough, sneeze, smack (onomatopoeia)
Feeling: touch, soft, tingly, rough, bumpy, sandpaper, tender, rub, sharp, sticky, damp, numb, cold, dry
Taste: taste bud, sour, sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, buttery, tangy, minty
Smell: odor, fresh, funk, sweat, stench, aroma, fragrance, whiff, pungent

12. The hot July sun beat down, casting an orange glare over the farm buildings, the fields, and the pond. Even the usually cool green willows bordering the pond hung wilted and dry. Our sun-baked backs stung and ached for relief. We quickly pulled off our sweaty clothes and plunged into the pond, but the freezing water only stifled us and we soon climbed onto the brown, dusty bank. Our thirsty throats longed for something cool--a delicious strawberry iced-tea, or a tall glass of sweet-but-sour lemonade.
We trekked through the underbrush as it crackled like fireworks beneath our feet. The sharp briars pulled at our damp jeans, until we reached the watermelon patch. As we began to cut open the nearest melon, we could smell the sweet skin mingling with the bitter odor of the dry earth. Suddenly, the melon gave way with a loud crack, revealing the deep, pink sweetness inside.

13. Practicing Imagery
On your own, write examples of IMAGERY based on the pictures provided. They should deal with at least one of the five senses, but try for more:
TOUCH
SMELL
TASTE
HEARING
SIGHT

14. Create Imagery!