All about imagery

An image is a picture. Writers often use pictures in their words and

writing to help us imagine a character or place more easily.

Often we need to find the secret or hidden meanings when looking

at imagery. For example, read these three famous images from
Shakespeare (we’ve amended the quotations slightly for this exercise).

Can you...
a) Look at the images Shakespeare has used.
b) Draw a picture for each.
c) Underline the simile or metaphor.
d) D
 raw arrows under the words that give you an impression or
image of the person.

For example:

Look like the flower but be the serpent beneath

Daggers in men’s eyes

Creeping like a snail with shining morning face, unwillingly to school

Year 7 English
 Can you use imagery like Shakespeare?
Look at this list of animals. What do they make you think of?

Snake

Sloth

Giraffe

Cheetah

Spider Spindly, scary, fast

Now try with weather:

Sun

Rain

Black clouds

Thunder

Snow Cold, beautiful, rare

Now let’s try the other way round – let’s think of what objects represent
different feelings/behaviours.

Object 1 Object 2
Soft and cuddly

Messy
Bad-tempered
Nosy Twitching curtain

Cheerful
Now, think of your mum or dad or brother or sister (someone you know
really well).

Draw a picture of your chosen person and add in labels of their

characteristics (aim for four), for example:

MUM
loving
messy

strict

old

always rushing
around

TASK: Can you write an image, a picture in words, to communicate one

of your mum’s characteristics without using the label word?

For example:

My mum is ‘always rushing around’ becomes

My mum races at full speed, swerving and

groaning

or

My mum is messy becomes

My mum litters our home like the leaves of autumn

litter the ground

TASK : Write some more drawing phrases using imagery. Why not
use analogies to the weather, an animal or a household object in your
descriptive writing?