Imagery 1

• Other languages
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Sort these sentences into metaphors, similes and personification

Simile

Metaphor

Personification

He is a pig at the dinner table

As hot as the sun

The clouds danced in the sky

The world is a stage

The stars winked at me

A heart of gold

As clear as glass

Dry like the dessert

The trees waved in the wind

Imagery 1

National 5 RUAE

A Reminder

Simile - compares one thing to another using 'like' or 'as'

Metaphor - comparing one thing to another directly

Personification - giving human characteristics to an inanimate object

Comparing what to what? 

Imagery questions are RARE, but they do pop up. 

When you spot a use of imagery, you have to consider what is being compared to what AND what the effect of that comparison is. 

For example...

This computer is a dinosaur....

Part 1	A computer
Part 2	A dinosaur
Effect	to show how old and obsolete the computer is.

A harder one...

The sun kissed me while I was taking a picture

Part 1	the sun
Part 2	a kiss
Effect	to show how the person could feel heat of the sun gently upon him.

One last one...

His determination was an unbreakable chain, binding him to his goals 

Part 1	his determination
Part 2	unbreakable chain
Effect	to show how nothing could stop him reaching his goal.

Match the metaphor to the effect

The old house groaned like an ancient giant.
His ideas were seed, planted in the minds of his students
The courtroom was a battlefield, where arguments clashed like opposing armies.
The car engine roared to life, a beast awakened from his slumber
The artist's canvas was a blank universe, waiting to be painted with imagination.

emphasising that the house was falling apart slowly. 

showing that the room was in complete chaos

emphasising that the teacher was providing students with knowledge that will grow. 

to show that the car was loud, fast and powerful. 

showing that their was no limit to the painter's imagination. 

Match the simile to the effect

The old house groaned like an ancient giant.
His words were like puzzles wrapped in enigmas.
The courtroom was a battlefield, where arguments clashed like opposing armies.
The memory was like a fine wine.
The experience was like diving into a novel.

emphasising that the house was great in size and volume

showing that there were two opposing arguments fighting with each other,

emphasising that the man spoke in riddles and was difficult to understand. 

to show that it was improving over time.

showing that the journey was long but worht it once it was completed. 

What are the effects of these?
a) This job is the cancer of my dreams and aspirations.
b) Life: a lighted window and a closed door.
c) His spirit was like a phoenix.

Answering a question

For each answer you need three things.

1) Quote and technique

2) What is being compared to what

3) What is the effect of the comparison

Example question

“And we've become slaves to the "use-by" date, happy to let the supermarkets' robot package printers tell us when to throw food away. Any sign of the natural progression of food - a blemish on our fruit, a dried-out corner of cheddar, a floppy leaf - is taken as confirmation that it's time to bin it.”​

 Q. How does the writer use imagery to highlight our behaviour towards ‘use-by dates’?​ (2)

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“And we've become slaves to the "use-by" date, happy to let the supermarkets' robot package printers tell us when to throw food away. Any sign of the natural progression of food - a blemish on our fruit, a dried-out corner of cheddar, a floppy leaf - is taken as confirmation that it's time to bin it.”​

Q. How does the writer use imagery to highlight our behaviour towards ‘use-by dates’?​ (2)

The X Factor, brainchild of Simon Cowell, is one of the most popular programmes on
Saturday night. Each week, hundreds make the pilgrimage to be part of the live
audience, and millions of us tune in to watch.

Explain how effective you find the metaphor “pilgrimage”. (2)