Imagery is the essence of all forms of poetry. It is what brings a poem to life, leaves the reader fascinated by a poetic piece and is a key to releasing all the emotions in us. Imagery plays a certain part in a poem and all poems has imagery whether it is simple or complex
William Wordsworth’s “I wandered lonely as a cloud” is a poem rich in visual imagery used to convey his appreciation of nature. Right from the beginning the speaker metaphorically compares himself to the clouds “I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o’er vales and hills", creating a sense of isolation from the rest of the world. Using the colour reference in “host of golden daffodils” enables Wordsworth to alter the mood of the poem to a more a cheerful one and is further emphasized as he uses personification to bring the joyous movement of flowers to life “fluttering and dancing in the breeze” or “Tossing their heads in a sprightly dance”. These features make the poem lively and more active and by being personified as human beings it contrasts to the emotion
The imagery in a poem is very effective as it enables the feelings of the reader to be drawn.
of loneliness felt by the speaker in the opening line. The metaphor of the “inward eye” is the human mind and when used in “they flash upon that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude” it re-enforces the beauty of the daffodils and its ability to cheer someone when in a depressed or lonely mood.
W. Hudson’s “Mallee in October” is rich in visual imagery. The colour imagery in “When clear October suns unfold / Mallee tips of red and gold” establishes a beautiful setting and creates a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere which is further emphasized through the metaphors in “Ice plants sheathed in beaded glass / spider, orchids and shivery grass”. This image is symbolic of the sun melting the “sheathed glass” and hence releasing the beauty that remains dormant over the winter months. The visual imagery in “…and a bronze wig’s nest of twigs so few / that both the sky and eggs show through” refers to the sunlight shining through, and parallels
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