Good writing can inspire the reader to think. Great writing can inspire a reader to feel. But what if writing can inspire us to see, taste, or touch?
Some authors are able to go beyond simple description to provide accounts of sensory experiences well enough that they can transmit that experience directly to a receptive reader. This technique is called imagery, and allows for greater emotional depth and connection.
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote is a masterpiece of sensory detail. As you read, pay attention to the smells and tastes that are evoked by the language. As you read, ask whether this imagery has a purpose beyond mere decoration - what feelings can it connect you with?
In The Pit and The Pendulum, E.A. Poe proves himself to be the master of gothic imagery, using it to create unbearable suspense and allowing the reader to physically experience the terror of his first-person narrator.
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