Quick questions on Imagery and figurative language explained: H2 Literature in English

Imagery is the language that appeals to the senses and builds a mental picture. It is not only visual: a poem can evoke sound, touch, taste and smell. When you analyse imagery, ask what the image asks you to picture, and what that picture implies. An image of "frost on a windowpane" is not just cold; depending on the poem it can suggest fragility, beauty, isolation, or the passing of time.

Figurative language describes something by relating it to something else. The core devices:

The marks come from connotation - the associations a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning. "Coin of light" works because coins connote value, smallness and currency; that is why the image makes each window feel precious. When you analyse, do not stop at "this is a metaphor for the city". Ask why this image and not another, and unfold the specific connotations the poet has chosen.

The single most important habit is to write effect, not just feature. A weak sentence says "The poet uses a metaphor here." A strong sentence says "By making each window 'a coin of light', the poet lends the cityscape a sense of hoarded value, so the reader sees the dark not as empty but as a purse quietly full of treasure." Same device, but now you have analysed what it does.

Why is naming a device ("this is a metaphor") not yet analysis? [2 marks]

In the line "every window is a coin of light", what do the connotations of "coin" contribute? [2 marks]

What is a conceit, and why is it worth noticing? [3 marks]