What we can feel from our hands, skin, is known as tactile imagery. Tactile imagery is addressing to our sense of touch. So, our mental picture of these yellow roses becomes complete just as soon as the words ‘aroma, wonderful and sweet smell’ are used to describe the fragrance of the roses. He was mesmerized by that wonderful, sweet smell.Ī flower is always associated with its smell. Then, the author tells us with the wind, the aroma of the roses was carried to him. Up to this point, we can imagine how the flowers are there and how the wind is making the flower petals drop. As the wind was strong, some petals had been torn from the flowers. Just imagine that an author is telling he saw some flowers in a field. Olfactory imagery is the using figurative language to address to our sense of smell. Just as the word screaming is used, our mental picture of the girl who is dragged towards the altar comes to life as now we have sounds to make it more realistic. In this sentence, the word screaming is used to address to our sense of hearing. The girl was kicking and screaming as she was dragged towards the altar. So, to create a complete mental picture in the minds of the reader about the incident in the story, the writer incorporates a description of the sounds too. When we experience something happening in real life, we see what is happening as well as hear the sounds associated with what is happening. ‘She ran through the dark, gloomy passage’ Auditory imageryĪuditory imagery is the use of figurative language to address to our sense of hearing. So, when these words are used to describe the corridor in this sentence we imagine a corridor with dim light and somber atmosphere. These are two things that can only be experienced by seeing. Here, in this sentence, the two words ‘dark’ and ‘gloomy’ appeal to our sense of vision. She ran through the dark, gloomy passage until she could see the exit. In that way, the reader can visualize what is happening in the story in her or his own mind. Visual imagery is the use of figurative language to address our sense of vision.