The imagery in this excerpt is stunning, particularly “the low hills shine ochre and fire.” The reader can imagine a roiling green landscape tinged like a flame in the early sunrise, contributing to the speaker’s sense of hope that one often feels at the start of a new day. In poetry, as in prose, images are often juxtaposed next to feelings, creating a sensory and emotive experience. The language that each form uses to create those experiences is similar, but the poetic form encourages an economy of language, making imagery in poetry more concise. 5 Types of ImageryĬorresponding with the 5 senses, there are 5 types of imagery at a writer’s disposal. (Actually, there’s 7-but we’ll handle those last two separately.)Įvery writer should have all 5 types of imagery in their toolkit. To create a rich, believable experience for the reader, appealing to each of the reader’s senses helps transport them into the world of the story.

No, you shouldn’t focus on all 5 senses at the same time-in real life, nobody can pay attention to all of their senses at once.

But, you should be able to use all 5 types of imagery when your writing calls for it. Let’s look at each type and some more imagery examples. Visual imagery is description that stimulates the eyes. Specifically, your mind’s eye: when you can visualize the colors, shapes, forms, and aesthetics of something that’s described to you, the writer is employing visual imagery.

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