Imagery - AP® English Definition

Imagery is descriptive language that appeals to the five senses — sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. In AP English, students learn that imagery helps create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind and adds depth to a text.

Writers use imagery to build mood, develop setting, or show a character’s emotions. It is often linked with figurative language, such as metaphors and similes. Analysing imagery helps students understand how authors create tone and atmosphere.

Example of imagery in an AP English text

In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, imagery is used to describe the moors:

“A sky of steel grey, and a field of dark brown heath, with a few rocks and scattered thorns.”

This visual imagery creates a bleak, harsh setting that reflects Jane’s emotional isolation at that moment in the novel. It adds to the tone of loneliness and struggle.