CREATIVE

WRITING
SHS
QUARTER 1
WEEK 1

Competencies
covered:
Use imagery, diction,
figures of speech and
Imagery
specific learning
experiences to evoke
meaningful responses
from readers

Department of Education 1• Schools Division of Marinduque

Introductory Message
“To write means more than putting pretty words on the page: The act of writing is to
share a part of your soul with the world”
-Author Unknown-

This module is designed for you to master the use of imagery in writing short
paragraphs or vignettes. It will expose you to different reading and writing exercises which will
help you gain enough knowledge to write your own composition. The materials herein are
carefully selected according to your level of understanding and interest.

What I Need to Know

After going through thus module you are expected to:
 Identify the types of senses in literary text
 Explain the sensory details and its importance
 Use sensory details in writing meaningful text

What I Know
Before you begin indulging yourself in imagery, let’s review your knowledge
about figurative language.
Directions: Match the terms on column A with its correct meaning in column B. Write your
answer on the answer sheets provided.

Column A Column B
1. Metaphor a. When a poets repeats a word or words to emphasize
2. Alliteration b. Giving human traits or characteristic to an object or idea
3. Simile c. Exaggeration for effects
4. Repetition d. A regular pattern of stress like a beat
5. Rhyme e. Repeating the same starting sounds of words
6. Personification f. Direct comparison of two or more things
7. Irony g. Comparison of two or more things using “like” or “as”
8. Rhythm h. When the outcome of a situation is the exact opposite of what
was expected
9. Onomatopoeia i. When a words’ pronunciation imitates its sounds
10. Hyperbole j. When two words share the same final sound

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 Lesson 1. IMAGERY
Most writing contains some level of imagery. One reason fiction writers deal in
significant concrete detail is to permit the reader the pleasure of arriving at their own
judgments and conclusions through perceptual clues. However, writers don’t have to always
resort to describing the way things look to create mental images

What’s In
In this phase you will do an activity to experience one of the five senses.
Follow the instructions given below. Write your responses on the answer sheets
provided.

1. Describe the picture. What can you see?

2. Smell coffee you prepared for your parents. How does it smell?
3. Feel the different kinds of leaves. What’s the texture of each leaves?
4. Listen to your surroundings. What can you hear?
5. Eat 5 different kinds of candies/food. How does each taste?

What’s New
Imagery is the literary term used for language and description that appeal to our five
senses. When a writer attempts to describe something so that it appeals to our sense of smell,
sight, taste, touch, or hearing; he/she has used imagery. Often, imagery is built on other literary
devices, such as simile or metaphor, as the author uses comparisons to appeal to our senses.

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Examples of Imagery
Example 1
Imagery using visuals:
The night was black as ever, but bright stars lit up the sky in beautiful and varied
constellations which were sprinkled across the astronomical landscape.
In this example, the experience of the night sky is described in depth with color (black as
ever, bright), shape (varied constellations), and pattern (sprinkled).

Example 2
Imagery using sounds:
Silence was broken by the peal of piano keys as Shannon began practicing her concerto.
Here, auditory imagery breaks silence with the beautiful sound of piano keys.

Example 3
Imagery using scent:
She smelled the scent of sweet hibiscus wafting through the air, its tropical smell a reminder
that she was on vacation in a beautiful place.
The scent of hibiscus helps describe a scene which is relaxing, warm, and welcoming.

Example 4
Imagery using taste:
The candy melted in her mouth and swirls of bittersweet chocolate and slightly sweet but
salty caramel blended together on her tongue.
Thanks to an in-depth description of the candy’s various flavors, the reader can almost
experience the deliciousness directly.

Example 5
Imagery using touch:
After the long run, he collapsed in the grass with tired and burning muscles. The grass tickled
his skin and sweat cooled on his brow.
In this example, imagery is used to describe the feeling of strained muscles, grass’s tickle,
and sweat cooling on skin.

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Types of Imagery

Here are the five most common types of imagery used in creative writing:

a. Visual Imagery

Visual imagery describes what we see:

comic book images, paintings, or
images directly experienced through
the narrator’s eyes. Visual imagery
may include:

 Color, such as: burnt red, bright

orange, dull yellow, verdant green, and
Robin’s egg blue.
 Shapes, such as: square, circular, tubular, rectangular, and conical.
 Size, such as: miniscule, tiny, small, medium-sized, large, and gigantic.
 Pattern, such as: polka-dotted, striped, zig-zagged, jagged, and straight.

b. Auditory Imagery

Auditory imagery describes what we hear, from music to noise to pure silence. Auditory
imagery may include:

 Enjoyable sounds, such as: beautiful music, birdsong, and the voices of a chorus.
 Noises, such as: the bang of a gun, the sound of a broom moving across the floor, and
the sound of broken glass shattering on the hard floor.
 The lack of noise, describing a peaceful calm or eerie silence.

c. Olfactory Imagery

Olfactory imagery describes what we smell. Olfactory imagery may include:

 Fragrances, such as perfumes, enticing food and drink, and blooming flowers.
 Odors, such as rotting trash, body odors, or a stinky wet dog.

d. Gustatory Imagery

Gustatory imagery describes what we taste. Gustatory imagery can include:

 Sweetness, such as candies, cookies, and desserts.

 Sourness, bitterness, and tartness, such as lemons and limes.
 Saltiness, such as pretzels, French fries, and pepperonis.
 Spiciness, such as salsas and curries.
 Savoriness, such as a steak dinner or thick soup.
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e. Tactile Imagery

Lastly, tactile imagery describes what we feel or touch. Tactile imagery includes:

 Temperature, such as bitter cold, humidity, mildness, and stifling heat.

 Texture, such as rough, ragged, seamless, and smooth.
 Touch, such as hand-holding, one’s in the grass, or the feeling of starched fabric on
one’s skin.
 Movement, such as burning muscles from exertion, swimming in cold water, or kicking
a soccer ball.

Examples of Imagery in Literature

Imagery is found throughout literature in poems, plays, stories, novels, and other creative
compositions. Here are a few examples of imagery in literature:

A. The poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth uses imagery
throughout:

Example: “A host of golden daffodils; / Beside the lake, beneath the trees, / Fluttering and
dancing in the breeze. (4-6)

Analysis: There aren’t several daffodils; there aren’t a lot of daffodils; there aren’t many
daffodils. There’s a freaking host of ‘em. There are so many, in fact, that there beside the
lake and beneath the trees. Wordsworth then employs personification, describing daffodils
“fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” A few lines down he recollect that the daffodils were
engaged in a “sprightly dance.”

B. In this passage from Charlotte's Web, the author uses imagery to help you see what the
baby spiders look like:
''A tiny spider crawled from the sac. It was no bigger than a grain of sand, no bigger than
the head of a pin. Its body was grey with a black stripe underneath. Its legs were grey and
tan.''
Instead of just saying the spiders were very small, the author shows you they were small by
comparing them to a grain of sand and the head of a pin.

c. Romeo's description of Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” is full of imagery:

Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,

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 As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so
bright That birds would sing and think it were not night.-- See how she leans her cheek
upon her hand!

What Is It

Directions: Analyse the sample poem then, identify the types of imagery used.

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost - 1874-1963

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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 What’s More

Identify the type of senses used in the sentences.

1. His almost –black hair captivates my attention.

2. Ellaine has a high-pitched laugh.
3. Her hair feels wiry.
4. Freddie wears too much aftershave.
5. The pizza tastes extraordinary and mouth-watery.
6. The rocks still wet from high tide.
7. The way the sea seems as blue as the sky, making it hard to tell where one ends and the
other begins.
8. The tiny pink shells in the white sand were picked by the little girl.
9. The cry of the fox sounded like a child is a terrible pain.
10. His ex-girlfriend gave him a cold handshake.

What I Have Learned

Imagery consists of descriptive language that can function as a way for the reader
to better imagine the world of the piece of literature and also add symbolism to the
work. Imagery draws on the five senses, namely the details of taste, touch, sight, smell,
and sound. Imagery can also pertain to details about movement or a sense of a body in
motion (kinesthetic imagery) or the emotions or sensations of a person, such as fear or
hunger (organic imagery or subjective imagery). Using imagery helps the reader develop
a more fully realized understanding of the imaginary world that the author has created

What I Can Do
Directions: Create powerful, image-creating sentences by taking the “Boring
Sentence” and adding sensory details. Make up additional details to construct the new
sentence. Label the sensory details you added.

Example: Boring Sentence: It was a cold morning at Arlington High School.

New Sensory details added: The frigid morning air and dense gray fog did not stop Jane
from inhaling the fresh smell of rain from the damp concrete and yelling across the Arlington
quad, “Good morning, Joe!”

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1. Boring Sentence: English class is fun.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
2. Boring Sentence: The cookies were good.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
3. Boring Sentence: Mom cooked dinner last night.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
4. Boring Sentence: The park was pretty.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
5. Boring Sentence: Joe watched television all day.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
6. Boring Sentence: The mall was really busy.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
7. Boring Sentence: Rainsford was on an island.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
8. Boring Sentence: General Zaroff lived in a big house.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
9. Boring Sentence: Rainsford hid in the jungle.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________
10. Boring Sentence: Rainsford slept in Zaroff’s bed.
Sensory details added:
______________________________________________________________

Assessment
Directions: Rewrite each sentence using imagery to expand on the idea presented.

EXAMPLES: I was afraid.

The fear came over me like a dark cloud.

1. Her hair was nice.

2. The ocean was wavy.

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3. I am angry.
4. I fell in love with him/her.
5. My house is a dump.
6. My friend’s voice is annoying.
7. My homework is hard.
8. The sky is beautiful.
9. The painting is colorful.
10. The couch is comfortable

Additional Activities
Write your own poem using imagery or different sensory images. You will be graded based
on the rubrics given.

Rubric in Grading the Poem

Indicator Rating (1-10

The message of the poem is clear.
The poem captures the interest of the readers.
The poem is based on the objective.
It is in proper form with correct grammar, spelling, and
proper punctuations.
Total

References
https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/figurative-language-worksheets/figurative-language-test.pdf
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/sensory-imagery-in-creative-writing#what-is-the-purpose-of-
sensory-imagery-in-writing
https://literaryterms.net/imagery/
https://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/45194-examples-of-imagery-in-poetry/
https://study.com/academy/lesson/imagery-in-charlottes-web.html
https://powerpoetry.org/actions/7-famous-poems-about-nature-and-environment
http://www.literarydevices.com/imagery/
https://www.tesol.org/docs/default-source/new-resource-library/descriptive-writing-lesson-plan-for-
differentiated-learning-2.pdf?sfvrsn=b7f4ecdc_0
https://www.warrencountyschools.org/userfiles/1593/Poetry/imagery%20worksheet.pdf

Photo Credits
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F296322850465633049%2F&psig=AOvVaw0
WkerZWyTCcRHF7YwYJmC0&ust=1596686923197000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCODtrsWYg-
sCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
https://literaryterms.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Imagery.png

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This module is self-crafted and reviewed by teachers
of ILAYA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL.

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