Is imagery a literary device? Absolutely! Imagery can be both literal and figurative, and it relies on the interplay of language and sensation to create a sharper image in your brain.

Imagery is what it sounds like—the use of figurative language to describe something. In fact, we’ve already seen imagery in action through the previous literary devices: by describing the tree as a “god”, the tree looks large and sturdy in the reader’s mind.

However, imagery doesn’t just involve visual descriptions; the best writers use imagery to appeal to all five senses. By appealing to the reader’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, your writing will create a vibrant world for readers to live and breathe in.

The best writers use imagery to appeal to all five senses.

Let’s use imagery to describe that same tree. (I promise I can write about more than just trees, but it’s a very convenient image for these common literary devices, don’t you think?)

1. Sight imagery: The tree spread its gigantic, sun-flecked shoulders.
2. Sound imagery: The forest was hushed, resounding with echoes of the tree’s stoic silence.
3. Touch imagery: The tree felt smooth as sandstone.
4. Taste imagery: The tree’s leaves tasted bitter, like unroasted coffee beans.
5. Smell imagery: As we approached the tree, the air around it smelled crisp and precise.

There are two other, less discussed types of imagery: organic and kinesthetic imagery. Organic imagery refers to descriptions of internal sensations—things happening within the body. Kinesthetic imagery is imagery of motion and movement—think of the sensations one might feel when running against the wind.

1. Organic imagery: The tree felt its xylem collapse at the news. (This is also an example of personification, since trees can’t “feel” the way people feel.)
2. Kinesthetic imagery: The tree cooled down as its own leaves rushed against its bark.

Imagery Writing Exercise

Want to try your hand at imagery? You can practice this concept by describing an object in the same way that this article describes a tree! Choose something to write about—any object, image, or idea—and describe it using the five senses. (“This biscuit has the tidy roundness of a lady’s antique hat.” “The biscuit tastes of brand-new cardboard.” and so on!)

Then, once you’ve written five (or more) lines of imagery, try combining these images until your object is sharp and clear in the reader’s head.

Imagery is one of the most essential and common literary devices. To learn more about imagery, or to find more imagery writing exercises, take a look at our article, “Imagery Definition: 5+ Types of Imagery in Literature.”