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Idioms
Definition of Imagery
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" contain imagery that engages... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines... read full definition
Chapter 1: Camelot
Explanation and Analysis—Lonesome as Sunday:
In Chapter 1, Hank uses a simile as well as imagery to describe the calming beauty of the English countryside:
It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on.
Hank first compares the loveliness of the landscape to a dream and then to a lonely Sunday. Sunday is typically known as a day off work, a time for rest and, historically, religious observance. By likening the landscape to the atmosphere of a Sunday, the simile emphasizes the overall serenity of the scene. The words "soft" and "reposeful" also evoke a feeling of calm and relaxation.
Note how Twain uses imagery to engage the reader's senses. Hank describes the various sensory experiences of the landscape. The air is filled with the pleasant aroma of flowers, and the sounds of buzzing insects and twittering birds contribute to the sensory richness of the scene. This allows readers to imagine themselves within the landscape, experiencing its beauty firsthand. All in all, Twain's use of figurative language paints a clear image in the reader's mind.
Explanation and Analysis—Camelot:
In Chapter 1, Nick uses vivid descriptive language as he describes Camelot to the reader:
In the town were some substantial windowless houses of stone scattered among a wilderness of thatched cabins; the streets were mere crooked alleys, and unpaved; troops of dogs and nude children played in the sun and made life and noise; hogs roamed and rooted contentedly about, and one of them lay in a reeking wallow in the middle of the main thoroughfare and suckled her family [...] Plumed helmets and flashing mail and flaunting banners and rich doublets and horsecloths and gilded spearheads; and through the muck and swine, and naked brats, and joyous dogs, and shabby huts it took its gallant way.
The passage above is rich in imagery, and Hank vividly describes the stark contrast between the medieval town's rustic, primitive elements and the splendid procession of knights passing through. Hank's description of the streets as crooked and unpaved conveys a sense of disorder, as does the image of dogs, nude children, and hogs roaming and creating noise.
The thatched cabins represent a humble, rural existence, while the stone houses symbolize wealth and permanence. This contrast highlights the socioeconomic disparities between medieval peasants and royalty. The sight of the knights' plumed helmets and flashing armor is a sharp contrast with the squalor and humility of the town.
Overall, the imagery in this passage effectively conveys the stark social, economic, and cultural disparities within Camelot, as well as the dramatic arrival of the noble knights in their resplendent attire. Twain uses these vivid contrasts to ultimately satirize a romanticized view of the Middle Ages.
Related Themes:
Chapter 2: King Arthur’s Court
Explanation and Analysis—The Stately Court:
In Chapter 2, Hank uses imagery, or language that appeals to the senses, to introduce King Arthur's castle to the reader:
Walls hung some huge tapestries which were probably taxed as works of art; battle pieces, they were, with horses shaped like those which children cut out of paper or create in ginger-bread; with men on them in scale armor whose scales are represented by round holes—so that the man’s coat looks as if it had been done with a biscuit punch. There was a fireplace big enough to camp in; and its projecting sides and hood, of carved and pillared stonework, had the look of a cathedral door. Along the walls stood men-at-arms, in breastplate and morion.
Hank first describes the large tapestries that adorn the walls of the castle. These tapestries are not just decorative; they are described as "works of art," suggesting their opulence and value. Hank's description of the tapestries as "like those which children cut out of paper or create in ginger-bread" conjures an image of whimsical depictions of horses in combat. This contrasts with the reality of war, highlighting the disconnect between romanticized art and the harshness of battle.
The elaborate and ornate nature of the fireplace evokes a sense of opulence and awe. The image of "men-at-arms, in breastplate and morion" lined up also adds to the setting's medieval atmosphere. All in all, Twain's use of imagery here allows the reader to vividly imagine the grandeur of a medieval castle while creating a rich visual landscape.
Chapter 6: The Eclipse
Explanation and Analysis—Hank's Eclipse :
In Chapter 6, Hank uses imagery, or language that engages with the senses, to describe the sight of the eclipse:
As sure as guns, there was my eclipse beginning! The life went boiling through my veins; I was a new man! The rim of black spread slowly into the sun’s disk, my heart beat higher and higher, and still the assemblage and the priest stared into the sky, motionless.
The phrase "sure as guns" evokes a sense of decisiveness and boldness, while the image of life "boiling" is highly descriptive and captures Hank's sudden excitement and feeling of energy. The contrasting image of the "rim of black" spreading slowly is a dramatic one, and is heightened by the description of Hank's heart beating "higher and higher," a phrase that evokes a sense of rising tension and climax. The contrast between Hank's inner excitement in contrast with the stillness of the crowd and priest further emphasizes the impact of the eclipse's arrival on the gathering.
All in all, Twain uses imagery here to convey Hank's intense emotional and physical response to the eclipse. He also creates a sense of awe and suspense in the reader, allowing them to experience for themselves the anticipation, transformation, and wonder the sight of the eclipse evokes.
Chapter 12: Slow Torture
Explanation and Analysis—The Fair Valley:
In Chapter 12, Hank uses vivid descriptive language to describe the countryside through which he and Sandy travel:
From hilltops we saw fair green valleys lying spread out below, with streams winding through them, and island groves of trees here and there, and huge lonely oaks scattered about and casting black blots of shade; and beyond the valleys we saw the ranges of hills, blue with haze, stretching away in billowy perspective to the horizon, with at wide intervals a dim fleck of white or gray on a wave summit, which we knew was a castle.
Hank's description is extremely evocative and detailed. Note his attention to color and perspective; it's almost as if the scene were a painting. The use of the word "green" conjures an image of lush, verdant valleys, while the word "fair" adds a sense of beauty and serenity to the landscape, setting a positive tone. The image of winding streams meandering through the valleys adds a sense of movement and life to the scene; it suggests the presence of water and the vitality it brings to the landscape. The image of the oaks casting "black blots of shade" suggests contrast and relief from the bright sunlight, adding visual depth to the overall description.
All in all, the effect of this imagery is to create a vivid mental picture of the serene and beautiful landscape in which Hank finds himself. Twain's use of descriptive language allows the reader to visualize the valleys, hills, streams, trees, and castles, immersing them in the rich and scenic setting. This detailed imagery not only enhances the reader's engagement with the narrative but also sets the tone for the adventure and exploration that lies ahead.
Explanation and Analysis—Rattling Armor :
In Chapter 12, Hank uses auditory imagery and a simile to describe his discomfort wearing armor:
I rattled like a crate of dishes, and that annoyed me; and moreover I couldn’t seem to stand that shield slatting and banging, now about my breast, now around my back; and if I dropped into a walk my joints creaked and screeched in that wearisome way that a wheelbarrow does.
The imagery in this passage is rich and sensory, appealing to the reader's senses to convey a clear image. Phrases like "rattled like a crate of dishes" evoke the sound of clattering and noise, emphasizing the cacophony of Hank's armor as it moves. Although readers of the novel aren't likely to know what a suit of armor sounds like, Twain offers the familiar images of a wheelbarrow and dishes to the reader so they can more easily imagine his armor's loud clanging. Twain's use of simile here also serves to emphasize the awkwardness and lack of grace of Hank's movements.
All in all, Twain's use of imagery and simile conveys the physical and emotional discomfort Hank experiences while wearing the armor. The clattering and noise of the armor, along with the comparison to a creaking wheelbarrow, highlight the impracticality of medieval armor and the challenges faced by someone unaccustomed to wearing it. This passage serves as a humorous commentary on the inconveniences and awkwardness of trying to adapt to the customs and attire of a different time and place.
Related Themes:
Chapter 17: A Royal Banquet
Explanation and Analysis—The Criminal:
In Chapter 17, Hank visits Morgan le Fay's torture chamber:
A native young giant of thirty or thereabouts, lay stretched upon the frame on his back, with his wrists and ankles tied to ropes which led over windlasses at either end. There was no color in him; his features were contorted and set, and sweat drops stood upon his forehead. A priest bent over him on each side; the executioner stood by; guards were on duty; smoking torches stood in sockets along the walls; in a corner crouched a poor young creature, her face drawn with anguish, half-wild and hunted look in her eyes, and in her lap lay a little child asleep. Just as we stepped across the threshold the executioner gave his machine a slight turn, which wrung a cry from [...] the prisoner[.]
In the above passage, Twain uses imagery to vividly depict the barbaric, cruel nature of Morgan Le Fay's torture chamber. Note how Twain uses painterly, evocative descriptions, with particular attention paid to color and sound. The violent imagery generally creates a frightening, dark mood. The description of the young giant stretched upon a frame with his wrists and ankles tied to ropes immediately conveys a sense of helplessness and vulnerability, while his contorted features and sweat drops on his forehead suggest extreme physical and emotional distress. This image emphasizes the cruelty and brutality of the situation.
The presence of the priests and executioner also creates a starkness to the imagery. The executioner symbolizes the cold and heartless aspect of the act, further evoking a sense of dread and foreboding in the reader. The description of the young woman with a drawn face, appearing half-wild and hunted, conveys her emotional anguish and despair. The presence of the sleeping child in her lap also creates a poignant contrast between innocence and the harshness of the scene, intensifying the emotional impact on the reader.
The passage ends with the cry of the prisoner, elicited by a slight turn of the executioner's machine. This cry serves as a chilling climax to the scene, leaving a lasting impression of the suffering and brutality being inflicted.
Overall, the imagery in this passage is masterfully crafted to evoke a sense of horror and empathy for the characters involved, creating a vivid and emotionally charged tableau. Twain's use of descriptive language paints a disturbing picture of the execution, leaving a powerful impact on the reader's imagination and emotions. Twain presents these horrific images to underscore the barbarities of the queen's prison and medieval society at large.
Related Themes:
Chapter 21: The Pilgrims
Explanation and Analysis—The Pilgrims:
In Chapter 21, the narrator uses vivid imagery to describe a procession of slaves he and the king encounter, who he refers to as "pilgrims":
Even the children were smileless; there was not a face among all these half a hundred people but was cast down and bore that set expression of hopelessness which is bred of long and hard trials and old acquaintance with despair [...] Chains led from their fettered feet and their manacled hands to a sole-leather belt about their waists; and all except the children were also linked together in a file, six feet apart, by a single chain which led from collar to collar all down the line. They were on foot, and had tramped three hundred miles in eighteen days, upon the cheapest odds and ends of food, and stingy rations of that. They had slept in these chains every night, bundled together like swine. They had upon their bodies some poor rags, but they could not be said to be clothed. Their irons had chafed the skin from their ankles and made sores which were ulcerated and wormy. Their naked feet were torn, and none walked without a limp.
First, Twain portrays the pervasive hopelessness among the people, emphasizing their joyless expressions. Their faces are described as "cast down," highlighting the emotional toll of their long and difficult trials. This hopelessness is a result of enduring "hard trials" and becoming familiar with despair over time.
Note how the physical conditions of the people are equally grim. They are depicted as being in chains, with fetters on their feet and manacles on their hands, emphasizing their captivity and powerlessness. The image of the sole-leather belt around their waists connected to these chains reinforces their complete lack of freedom. Furthermore, the description of the people being linked together in a file, six feet apart, by a single chain is a powerful image that symbolizes their collective suffering and shared hardship. This imagery suggests a dehumanizing and degrading experience, as they are treated like a chain of prisoners rather than individuals.
The grueling journey of tramping 300 miles in 18 days on meager sustenance underscores their physical endurance and the extreme conditions they have endured. The phrase "bundled together like swine" evokes a sense of degradation and dehumanization, emphasizing their treatment as less than human.
Twain's description of their clothing, or lack thereof, highlights their destitution and suffering, with their bodies covered in "poor rags." The graphic description of their physical ailments, including chafed skin, ulcerated sores, and torn feet, evokes a sense of sympathy and pity for their plight.
All in all, the passage conveys the depth of suffering and despair experienced by the slaves, painting a stark and powerful image of their harsh circumstances and the inhumanity they endure. Twain's ability to use vivid language and detailed imagery serves to create a poignant and impactful portrayal of their hardships.
