Imagery Flashcards
All 12 cards in this deck
What is a simile, and what does it typically do?
A comparison using like or as. It makes something vivid by linking it to something familiar, and the comparison chosen carries feeling. In 'Fog lay on the town like a wet blanket' the fog seems heavy and smothering.
What is a metaphor, and how does its effect differ from a simile's?
It says one thing is another, with no like or as. Its effect is often more direct and forceful. 'The exam hall was a pressure cooker' suggests tension building towards an explosion.
What is an extended metaphor?
A metaphor developed over several phrases or sentences. Because it is sustained, the reader keeps seeing the subject through that comparison, which strengthens the impression.
What is personification, and what is its typical effect?
Giving human qualities to something non-human. It can make a setting seem alive, threatening or sympathetic. 'The house watched them leave' makes the house seem aware and unsettling.
What is pathetic fallacy?
When weather or setting reflects a character's mood or the atmosphere of a scene. It can also foreshadow events. In 'A thin, grudging drizzle fell as she read the letter', the drizzle mirrors a low, joyless mood.
What is a semantic field, and what does it do?
A group of words from the same area of meaning. It builds an idea across a passage. Words like 'ambush', 'retreat' and 'ceasefire' used about a family dinner present the meal as a battle.
What is symbolism in a fiction extract?
When an object, colour or setting stands for a bigger idea. A stopped clock in a dusty room might symbolise a life frozen in the past. It gives the description a deeper layer of meaning.
Examiners warn against reading imagery "literally". What does that mean?
Explaining only what the image looks like, rather than what it suggests. 'Like a wet blanket' isn't just about how fog looks; it suggests weight, discomfort and being smothered.
How do you analyse a simile or metaphor well?
Look at both halves: what is being compared, which qualities carry across from one to the other, and how that shapes the reader's feelings about the thing described.
In 'Her laugh was a door slammed shut', which technique is used and what is its effect?
A metaphor. The laugh seems sudden, loud and final, as if it ends the conversation and shuts the other person out.
In 'The wind worried at the loose window all night', which technique is used and what is its effect?
Personification: 'worried' suggests the wind is restless and persistent, like an anxious person or a dog with a bone. It creates an uneasy, sleepless atmosphere.
In 'Frost glittered on the railings like broken glass', which technique is used and what is its effect?
A simile. The frost is beautiful, but the comparison to broken glass makes it seem sharp and dangerous, adding a hint of violence to a pretty scene.