Quick questions on Imagery and figurative language explained: O-Level Literature in English

Imagery is 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 suggests. An image of "frost on a windowpane" is not just cold; depending on the poem it can suggest fragility, beauty, loneliness, or the passing of time.

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

The marks come from connotation, the associations a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning. "Grey tune" works because grey connotes dullness, age and gloom; that is why the sound feels joyless. When you analyse, do not stop at "this is a metaphor for the kitchen". 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 simile here." A strong sentence says "By comparing the steam to 'a ghost learning how to leave a room', the poet makes the empty kitchen feel haunted by an absence, so the reader senses loss rather than simple quiet." 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 "the kettle hums a small grey tune", what do the connotations of "grey" add? [2 marks]

What is the difference between a metaphor and a simile, and why might it matter in analysis? [3 marks]