NON: Lesson - Nonfiction: Using Imagery and Descriptive Writing

Using Imagery and Descriptive Writing

Some types of nonfiction writing vividly portray a situation or event in an attempt to offer the reader a sensory comprehension of the writer's own experience. If you take this definition and divide it into its constituent parts, you will have some clues as to how to write descriptively. First, we have a "vivid portrayal" as well as "sensory comprehension." Thus, this type of writing centers on imagery. Imagery allows the writer to dwell on an experience and provide descriptions of the senses that invite the reader to share specific sensations. Inviting the audience to understand or experience the "situation, character or object" is a key element of writing as communication. We can all imagine an image in our mind; however, when we write we need to be cognizant of our abilities to share this with our audience.

Reading Assignment: "The Death of Benny Paret" by Norman Mailer

Download "The Death of Benny Paret" by Norman Mailer Links to an external site..

The above essay is a descriptive, nonfiction piece by Norman Mailer. Mailer was one of the leading American writers of the late 20th century because he injected an energetic and honest description into his work – which included both fiction and nonfiction (and sometimes a blending of the two).

As you read the text, evaluate how Mailer’s choice of images draws the audience into the ring, into this tragic event, and into Mailer's experience of the fight.

Types of Imagery

Nonfiction writers such as Mailer rely on their rich, detailed images to convey a seemingly everyday event in a vivid way. Imagery, simply stated, is a word, phrase, or description that appeals to one of the readers’ five senses. Oftentimes, people associate imagery with the visual sense; however, there are four other types of imagery, and each appeals to a different sense.

Select each of the following types of imagery for their definition:

Visual

Visual imagery concerns sight. Example: bright lights

Auditory

Auditory imagery concerns sound. Example: blaring sirens

Olfactory

Olfactory imagery concerns smell. Example: pungent smoke

Tactile

Tactile imagery concerns touch/feel. Example: sharp edges

Gustatory

Gustatory imagery concerns taste. Example: bitter dregs

Practice Activity

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION