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Importance of Imagery in Poetry

Imagery is one of the commonly used in literature as a literal device by poets. The beauty and

fun of the imagery do not end on its use but its interpretation of what the devices as per given

text stand for. The interpretation calls for an analysis of the words or text before and after and

put those words in the context of the common happenings as per the poet’s theme. Analysis of

The Past and the China Woman by Oodgeroo Nounnaca presents a good opportunity in

discussing how imagery shapes our way of thinking about the world.

In poetry, the purpose of imagery is to aid the readers to get the message of the poet across a

language that is vivid, strong, and very visual. Images are created in the readers’ heads by the

poet to help them understand the deep meaning of the poem as per the poet’s perspectives. The

world presents us with reach ideas and in literature, poets are free to interpret such happenings

and present them in a poem in their best creative skills. Poets are inspired to put in writing their

ideas and views about the world for others to read and interpret. Some poets use similes,

metaphor, and personification in comparison all to create visuals for the readers be it to delight

or shock (Al-Hameedawi, Mustafa and Ahmed 25). Poet’s effectiveness is illuminated in poetry

through imagery to help come up with a series of visualizations of an individual’s mind. The

relevancy of a given poem to the contemporary world is catapult by the use of imagery by the

author.
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The Past poem by Oodgeroo has evident imagery instances which are utilized in reminding the

Aboriginal people on their history and linking it to the cultural sense of time. Bringing in these

subjects through imagery in the poem captures the minds of the readers into great detail that

fosters not only understanding but also great interest and fun. Focusing on the world through this

device has given the Aboriginal people the strength to navigate the rigid cedar pillars of

Australia that fails to acknowledge them as people. Oodgeroo’s poem The Past says, “Let no one

say the past is dead (Stanza 1, Line 5-6). The past is all about us and within." From this text, the

reader can visualize the connection between them and the past, what they have been through and

the achievements or efforts they need to employ for a better future. The poet draws close

together the past and present through deep and contemplative imagery. Oodgeroo further writes,

“But a thousand thousand campfires in the forest. Are in my blood” (Stanza 4, Line 23-24) This

is a metaphorical image that gives an image through intuition. The image created in our minds is

of a huge wildfire burning some vegetation and now the comparison with the author's blood

gives a different turn of the thoughts. We can think that the author is disturbed by the fierce

treatment of his people in Australia who are of his tribe. The tribe aspect brings in the imagery

facet the poet talks of. Imagery has helped the author in presenting the harshness of the situation

at hand and how it affects his people.

Imagery in a poem sparks a reaction of one or several senses of the reader as they try to figure

out what could be the correct interpretation of a given imagery context. The images are not

limited to the visual elements of the immediate surrounding or the layman’s meaning of the

words used. However, imagery in a poem is more than the suggestions of the used synonyms and

word pictures. Poetic imagery moves us into imagining the texture, feeling, and taste or smell of

our world which is formed in our minds after reading those few lines on a piece of paper (Kao,
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Justine, and Dan 113). Oodgeroo poetic imageries include details that engage all of the reader’s

senses through synaesthesia so that they can experience the world they reveal. He evokes desire

and feeling, inspires the very intransigent and intangible human consciousness aspects. Imagery

conveys sensory details by creating a mood and atmosphere for free thoughts. A reader of

Oodgeroo’s poetry can grasp a lot about the past in as few lines as possible through imagery.

Oodgeroo uses personification technique to create an image in the mind of the reader. He says,

“Make their own music" (Stanza 2, Line 10). In this text, the main word is the music which as

anyone knows, is a source of the sound. The correlation between trees and the music makes the

reader get a clear picture of a large forest.

Additionally, as a literary device, the imagery changes how one views and interacts with the

world by affecting how thy think by creating it in their minds. In the poem, China… Woman by

Oodgeroo, the reader’s mind is set to visualize and create a clear picture of “high peaked

mountains and a wall that twines itself over and around them”. On close analysis, the high

peaked mountains turn out to be enormous challenges and oppression that stood against some

freedom fighters in the past. It is not possible for a wall to twine around a mountain like a tree

but it is in that impossibility we learn that those freedom fighters did the unthinkable to fight for

their rights. In the description of China, the woman gives a clear image of how she looks like.

Given an opportunity, the reader can draw an image on a piece of paper. Oodgeroo says, “China,

the woman, Stands tall, Breasts heavy, With the Milk of her labours, Pregnant with expectations.

The Ancient Dynasties, Sleep” (Stanza 2, Line 1-6). However, our thoughts are not tied to the

normal image of the China woman but we are bend to think outside the box. After relating the

image with the times in which the poem brings in, we can see the boldness and bravery of the

people who fought against the oppressors to whom the author refers to as Dynasties.
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Generally, both poems have used imagery extensively to present the reader into the connection

and understanding of past events concerning liberation, freedom, and equality. The Past poem

generally tells and strives to revive the history of the Aboriginal and African American civil

rights activists. Oodgeroo has skillfully utilized the imagery literary device to connect the readers

with the past and emphasize that the past is not dead but is present forever. The author has

connected us to several years ago when activism was the talk of the day. It is through these past

experiences that voting, native title, citizenship, education, and fair wages have found a standing

today. It is true that imagery shapes our way of thinking about the world.
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Works Cited

Al-Hameedawi, Mustafa Amjed, and Ahmed Basim Al-Baghdadi. "Poetry of Social Resistance

in Modern Australian Aboriginal Poetry: A Study in Selected Poems of Oodgeroo

Noonuccal." (2013):23-28.

Kao, Justine, and Dan Jurafsky. "A computational analysis of style, affect, and imagery in

contemporary poetry." Proceedings of the NAACL-HLT 2012 workshop on computational

linguistics for literature. (2012): 111-114.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal, China… Woman.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal, The Past.