Imagery

Imagery represents the language that is not meant to be taken literally. Hyperboles, similes, and metaphors are all examples of imagery. For instance, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock contains multiple examples of imagery. One example is "When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table...". This quote is a simile and also uses personification. The evening is given characteristic of being spread out which is personification and the evening is also being compared to "a patient etherized upon a table" which is a simile. This quotation is not meant to be taken literally and is a perfect example of figurative language. Overall, imagery is very useful in literary work because it paints a picture in the readers' minds.