The Jungle Book: Imagery 6 key examples

Mowgli is a soft, naked baby, and being carried between the teeth of a wolf seems like a terrifying prospect. However, through the tactile imagery of his being able to "mouth an egg without breaking it," the narrator vividly conveys Father Wolf's gentle touch. It gives his contact with Mowgli a sense of gentleness and care, highlighting the restraint he is always able to employ. This imagery contrasts the wolf's potential for ferocity with his fatherly tenderness. It enables readers to feel that Father Wolf can be a fierce protector as well as a gentle parent. When the narrator describes how "not a tooth even scratched the skin," readers can almost feel the tender interaction between wolf and infant. It allows them to see and sense the extreme care being taken.

The reader’s sense of pathos is evoked through this sweet treatment, and also through Mother Wolf’s soft exclamations about Mowgli: "How little! How naked, and—how bold!" Moments like this allow the reader to feel affectionate toward the wolves, who come to seem kind and curious, not just primal and frightening. Moreover, Father Wolf’s acknowledgment of Mowgli’s hairless vulnerability—saying he could "kill him with a touch of [his] foot"—emphasizes the emotional weight of the appeal to pathos here. The wolves have to exercise great caution not to hurt Mowgli, but they’re excellent adoptive parents.

The imagery here is sharp and powerful. Mother Wolf’s eyes glow "like two green moons" as she springs in front of her cubs. In contrast, Shere Khan’s eyes “blaze” ferociously, as if lit by fire. Shere Khan is motivated by greed and hatred and Mother Wolf by unconditional love, which is reflected in the way Kipling describes their eyes. Shere Khan’s eyes “blaze” with manic energy, while Mother Wolf’s “glow” with steady light. This difference is also emphasized by the simile Kipling uses to describe Mother Wolf’s eyes. They are peaceful, like “two green moons” in the darkness of the den, unshaken by Shere Khan’s “blazing” presence.

The metaphor of Shere Khan’s roar “filling the cave with thunder” makes the scene’s auditory imagery match its feverish visual action. This scene takes place in the wolves’ home, typically a safe haven. The “thunder” of the roar shatters this sense of safety, prompting Mother Wolf to jump into the fray.

This detailed description of the Cold Lairs, with their ornate walls and underground passages, is a typical British colonialist vision of India. Mowgli finds himself in a fantastical, untouched place full of treasures, in much the same way the British treated the resources of India itself. Everything is seen as rich and exotic, even if it is crumbling.

The narrator describes the walls as being made of "screens of marble tracery" that are embedded with precious stones. The mention of "milk-white fretwork" alongside gems like "agates and cornelians and jasper and lapis lazuli" conjures an image of glowing, jewel-like colors and sharp white lines. These contrast with the soft darkness of the simile Kipling then uses to depict the palace’s shadows.

This simile compares the patterns cast by the moonlight shining through the open-work of the screens to "black velvet embroidery." The reader can almost see the stark contrast between white stone and black shadow and feel the softness and richness of velvet. Here, even the gloom of parts of the palace not touched by moonlight feels luxurious and exciting.

The author's employment of visual imagery here allows readers to "see" the chaotic scramble through the jungle: they witness the branches crackling and bending, and can easily imagine limber monkey bodies being flung through the air. The entire passage paints a vivid picture of wild and chaotic movement. The tactile imagery here allows readers to "feel" what Mowgli feels: the rush of wind, the check and jerk of the swinging, and the sensation of hanging on to the branches. It’s overwhelming for the reader, as well as Mowgli himself.

The hyperbole Kipling uses to describe the "Man-cub's" reaction here also emphasizes the passage's intensity. Mowgli feeling his heart "between his teeth" is an exaggeration that conveys the extreme fear and adrenaline rushing through him during this wild ride. It's not a literal description, as his actual heart remains firmly in his chest. However, it helps the reader understand the gut-churning, exhilarating feeling of his romp through the forest.

As she and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi battle, Kipling compares Nagaina's bodily tension to a "watch-spring." Although Nagaina is a snake and not made of metal, this "spring" conjures images of coiled strength and the menacing sharpness of its pointed end for the reader. Like a spring bouncing, Nagaina strikes “again and again and again” at Riki-Tikki-Tavi. Even though the mongoose is strong, Nagaina is a formidable, almost mechanically efficient opponent.

The author also uses auditory imagery to bring the clash between mongoose and snake to life. They liken Nagaina's tail rustling on the matting to "dry leaves blown along by the wind." Although Nagaina is not a large animal, her sinuous body is dangerous and agile, lightly skating over the matting. This choice of sound imagery makes readers feel the scene’s tension, allowing them to almost hear the snake as Rikki-Tikki-Tavi does.

The visual imagery of this quotation paints a vivid scene of disorder and tumult: "savage men and savage horses" in this number are a scary prospect. This description conjures up images for the reader that align with colonial stereotypes. The Amir cannot keep his men under control, reinforcing the notion of non-British rule as inherently unruly and chaotic. Indeed, it’s depicted metaphorically as a "stampede." The description amplifies the foreignness and unruliness of the Afghan troupe, emphasizing the so-called “savage” disorder. The narrator even makes the geographical location of Afghanistan seem far away and primitive, saying the troupe comes from “somewhere in the back of Central Asia.”

Tactile imagery further intensifies the sense of pandemonium in the camp. Descriptions of horses breaking “heel-ropes,” and animals stampeding in the mud give the reader a sensory overload. The reader can almost feel the jarring movements of the big animals around them and feel the abrupt snapping of the ropes and tents. Everything is tumultuous and disorganized in the same way—Kipling implies—that Afghan rule is tumultuous and disorganized compared to British military occupation.