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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
Part 4, Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis—A Sense of Relief:
Lee uses imagery to display the relief a young Jean Louise feels in Part 4, Chapter 11, when Calpurnia informs her she is not, in fact, pregnant:
Slowly and deliberately Calpurnia told her the simple story. As Jean Louise listened, her year's collection of revolting information fell into a fresh crystal design; as Calpurnia's husky voice drove out her year's accumulation of terror, Jean Louise felt life return. She breathed deeply and felt cool autumn in her throat. She heard sausages hissing in the kitchen, saw her brother's collection of sports magazines on the livingroom table, smelled the bittersweet odor of Calpurnia's hairdressing.
The imagery in this scene appeals to almost all the senses, which were dulled to Jean Louise when she thought she was pregnant and spiraled into a temporary depression. She sees autumn, sausages, and sports magazines, as well as figuratively seeing the crystal design of her resumed future. She hears Calpurnia's voice and the hiss of the sausages. She tastes both the cool autumn and, preemptively, the sausages—which she smells along with Calpurnia's hairdressing. There is a rich combination of sensory experiences here that gives life a renewed vivacity.
After this wave of relief, Jean Louise realizes how tired she is:
Jean Louise stretched luxuriously and yawned, delighted with her existence. She was becoming sleepy and was not sure she could stay awake until supper.
Her body has been holding in so much tension, building internal stress and shutting out external stimuli, that she needs to rest following the good news.
