Effects Of Imager

Effects of Color Imagery

Many people say a picture is worth a thousand words, but is a thousand words really equal to a picture? Imagery is a way of writing that creates an elaborate picture in the readers head appealing to any of the five senses but prominently visual interpretation. Color imagery is a way of communicating thoughts and ideas through the description of colors in literary readings. Primarily, this is a way to give better visual understanding of a setting but color imagery can also have underlying symbolic meanings. Although imagery is an effective tool for creating more in depth writing, it is not an acceptable or effective way to demonstrate themes in a piece of literature.

Imagery is found in almost all excerpts of writing in any length. A short poem like Lisel Mueller's is packed with many forms of imagery. The title, "Imaginary Paintings" is well suited considering she uses color imagery to describe her feelings on each emotional subject. "...a flowering tree releasing all its blossoms at once, and the one standing beneath it unexpectedly robed in bloom..." This section of Lisel Mueller's poem, an elaborate description of how she would paint happiness, is chock full of words that metaphorically paints a picture in the readers eyes. Her explanation of faith is essentially a denial of the feeling brought on by a symbol of bad luck, a black cat. "A black cat jumping up three feet to reach a three inch shelf." Integrating colors into writing imagery only helps create a closer realization of what the author visualized or was trying to elucidate, not an explanation or understanding of a theme.

In the short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper", Charlotte Perkins Gilman almost overused the writing technique of imagery. Her mental opposition, the wallpaper in her containment room, was exceedingly illustrated by color imagery. "The color is repellant, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others." Her highly structured depiction of the wallpaper gives the reader the realization of her overwhelming hatred for it. It allows the reader to fall into the illusion Charlotte Gilman demonstrates. Not only can colors be descriptive, they can also have a symbolic meaning when put into the right context.

The poem, "Design" by Robert Frost is an excellent example of how colors can be implemented as symbols. The color blue was intended to denote the innocence and helplessness of the moth caught in the trap of the spider. The color white was simply a description of the moth used to create a more complete picture. White can also be considered a symbol of being in an unprepared state; the moth was not expecting the dire consequence of a spiders' web. The title itself is a symbol included to add to the effectiveness of all the imagery. "Design" is directly relating to gods' purpose and plan for how all things in life are incorporated concurrently in an unavoidable path of occurrence. Robert Frosts' intent was to give more meaning to colors and apply more ideas other than just effortless descriptions. Although Frosts' thoughts and ideas were situated in the symbols and imagery