Imagery, Figurative Language and Sensory Effects

9. Imagery, Figurative Language and Sensory Effects

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Why This Topic is Important

• A major part of Question 2 (Language Analysis)

• Tests ability to understand:

  • imagery

  • comparisons

  • descriptive techniques

• This is where:

  • average answers describe

  • strong answers analyse

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What is Imagery?

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• Imagery = language that creates a mental picture

• It helps the reader:

  • see

  • feel

  • experience

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Key Rule

• You must explain:

  • what image is created

  • what effect it has

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Types of Figurative Language

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1. Simile

• Uses:

  • like / as

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Example

• “tents popped up like mushrooms”

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Effect

• sudden appearance

• large number

• clustered together

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2. Metaphor

• Direct comparison (no like/as)

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Example

• “a wall of wind”

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Effect

• strong force

• overwhelming impact

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3. Personification

• Giving human qualities to non-human things

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Example

• “the wind screamed”

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Effect

• creates fear

• makes environment feel alive

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4. Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

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Example

• “packed solid”

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Effect

• extreme crowding

• intense energy

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Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change O Level And IGCSE English Language Full Scale Course

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Sensory Language (VERY IMPORTANT)

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Writers often describe using senses:

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1. Sight (Visual Imagery)

• colours, shapes, size

Example:

• “flame red sky”

Effect:

• intense heat

• burning atmosphere

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2. Sound (Auditory Imagery)

• noises

Example:

• “shrieked”

Effect:

• loud, harsh, alarming

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3. Touch (Tactile Imagery)

• physical feeling

Example:

• “hit by a wall of wind”

Effect:

• strong physical force

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4. Smell (Olfactory)

• rarely used but powerful

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5. Movement (Kinaesthetic)

• action and motion

Example:

• “stumbled backwards”

Effect:

• panic

• lack of control

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How to Analyse Imagery

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Step 1: Identify Technique

• simile / metaphor / description

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Step 2: Break the Image

• What is being compared?

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Step 3: Explain Meaning

• What does it suggest?

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Step 4: Explain Effect

• What does reader feel or imagine?

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Example Full Answer

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Phrase:

• “like a mouse being bounced between two cats”

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Analysis:

• shows vulnerability

• suggests fear and helplessness

• creates image of being trapped

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Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change O Level And IGCSE English Language Full Scale Course

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Weak vs Strong Analysis

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Weak

• “it is a simile”

Problem:

• identification only, no analysis

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Strong

• suggests the person is weak and trapped, like prey being controlled by stronger forces

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Common Mistakes

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Mistake 1: Naming Technique Only

• “this is a metaphor”

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Mistake 2: Literal Explanation

• repeating what is already obvious

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Mistake 3: Vague Language

• “it creates a nice image”

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Mistake 4: Missing Effect

• not explaining impact

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Advanced Strategy (A* Level)

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Always Link to:

• emotion

• atmosphere

• intensity

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Example

Phrase:

• “gargantuan beast”

Basic:

• very big

Advanced:

• emphasises enormous size and creates a sense of power and dominance

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Multi-Mark Questions Strategy

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For 2 marks

• give two clear effects

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For 3 marks

• include:

  • example

  • developed explanation

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Examiner Expectation

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• Rewards:

  • clear interpretation

  • logical explanation

• Accepts:

  • different valid meanings

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Final Strategy

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• Always ask:

  • What picture do I see?

  • What feeling is created?

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Final Insight

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• Imagery is not about identifying techniques

• It is about:

  • understanding meaning

  • explaining effect

• Students who master this:

  • consistently score high in Q2

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Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change O Level And IGCSE English Language Full Scale Course