Visual imagery
Descriptive language that creates mental pictures through references to colour, light, shadow, shape, and visual composition. Visual imagery is the most frequently used imagery type in literature and forms the basis of many readers' understanding of a text's world.
Real World
In 'The Great Gatsby,' Fitzgerald's green light at the end of Daisy's dock uses colour symbolism — green suggesting hope, envy, and money — to encapsulate Gatsby's entire obsessive dream in a single visual image.
Exam Focus
Avoid simply listing what you 'see' — analyse why the writer chose that specific colour, light, or spatial detail.
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