The creation of mental images through language, or imagery, is a common characteristic of good writing. Students are expected to recognize and communicate how authors purposely use action words or detailed descriptions of people, places, and things to paint vivid scenes in the mind of readers.

Authors often make comparisons through similes and other types of figurative language. Students should recognize that these comparisons are effective because they connect to a reader’s senses and prior experiences. For example, when an author uses a noun in a simile, the reader automatically associates the word with a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste or even a touch. For example, In the simile slow as a snail, the noun snail will likely evoke for the reader the image of a slow-moving snail. By using one noun to describe another noun, the author creates instant pictures in the minds of readers. This mental picture shows the reader the meaning of the simile.

the use of words, phrases, and sentences in their real or actual sense

a figure of speech in which two things that are essentially different are likened to each other, usually using the words like or as (e.g., “O my love is like a red, red rose”)

Authors can make words come alive through the purposeful use of sound devices such as onomatopoeia (words that sound like or suggest an action). In the example of onomatopoeia, students should recognize that an author’s use of words like buzz and zoom to describe a bee creates imagery. This imagery paints a picture for the reader that describes how close to the speaker and how quickly the bee is moving.