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Definition of Imagery
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" contain imagery that engages... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines... read full definition
Book 1
Explanation and Analysis—Description of New World:
In this passage towards the beginning of Book One, More relates Raphael's rich description of the landscape of the "New World":
It is clear that under the equator and on both sides of the line, as far as the sun's orbit extends, there lie vast deserts scorched with perpetual heat: the entire region is harsh and desolate, untilled and savage, inhabited by wild beasts and serpents, as well as by men who are as wild as the beasts themselves and no less dangerous. But as you travel further the landscape gradually relents: the climate is less extreme . . . . In time you reach peoples and cities and settlements . . . .
It is crucial to note in this passage how figurative language—principally simile, along with a smattering of visual and tactile imagery conveyed by words like "scorched," "harsh," and "untilled"—combine to generate a perception of indigenous people as "savage" or "uncivilized." People who live in unfavorable climates described as "scorched" and "desolate" and are likened to beasts. These people seem less human by More's description than the "civilized" people one encounters further on. Though More does not specifically mention indigenous peoples, the supposed "savagery" of people who do not have infrastructure and social conventions similar to those of Europe are ultimately dehumanized in this passage.
Related Themes:
