SENSORY LANGUAGE

DEFINITION
- a word(s) used to invoke mental images and visualize the story or poem. 
- describe what you see, hear, touch, smell, taste
- a writing style and how the writers use the words to create images for the readers.

FIVE SENSES

Using the Five Senses

Here are examples of how to use sensory language.

Sens
Example
e

Her raven black hair, still dripping after the shower, left a cascade of water spots trickling
Sight
down the back of her white t-shirt.

We woke up sluggish, tired from last night's ruckus. Our new puppy restlessly wandered
Sound around the house, his nails clicking over the wood floor like tap-dancing beetles, and his
incessant, sharp-pitched whining filled all the corners of the house.

Taste Ugh, I hate when the sour taste of sweat drips into my mouth during practice.

Her sweater was so soft, reminding me of a velvety smooth bunny or a wispy cotton ball. I
Touch
was surprised it wasn't cashmere.

I made sure to chew gum before my interview. I love the smell of minty breath; that sweet,
Smell
icily refreshing scent is always sure to calm me down and help me focus.

WHY SENSORY LANGUAGE IS USED

 Writers must be able to use the words that demonstrate a feeling so as to tempt the
imagination of the audience.

Explanation (not included sa PPT) : They have to feed on the hunger, that the readers have to
lap up more of what they have to say. This would help in engaging the audience.

 Using sensory language in an article or a novel will add layers of depth to it. It has the
ability to spike the interest of readers and this compels them to continue reading
further and they remain involved in the story right through the end.
Explanation (not included sa PPT) : If the readers are hooked to the story, then that makes the
writer’s efforts worthwhile. To master this style, however, requires investment of both time and
effort.

 Sensory narration helps the reader visualize the scenes and live through them.
Explanation (not included sa PPT) :They are thus provided a first-hand experience of being a
part of the story. Authors can thus infuse life in their piece of writing by means of this tool. It
will make their artwork more lively while also giving it a touch of reality.
EXAMPLES
Example #1

 I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings by Maya Angelou

“But a bird that stalks

Down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through
His bars of rage
His wings are clipped and
His feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
With a fearful trill
Of things unknown
But longed for still
And his tune is heard
On the distant hill
For the caged bird
Sings of freedom.”

Explanation (not included sa PPT) : The poem is about the racial segregation and social
discrimination prevalent in American society against black people. Using the metaphor of free
birds, she has put forth the ideas of freedom, liberty, and justice. As sensory language pertains
to the five senses, this poem is loaded with different images. The images for example, “free
bird” and “back of wind” appeal to the sense of sight and feeling. Similarly, images such as,
“orange sun rays” and “throat to sing” appeals to the sense of sight and hearing.

Example #2

 Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges

 “The universe (which others call the Library) is composed of an indefinite, perhaps infinite
number of hexagonal galleries. In the center of each gallery is a ventilation shaft, bounded by a
low railing. From any hexagon one can see the floors above and below-one after another,
endlessly. The arrangement of the galleries is always the same: Twenty bookshelves, five to
each side, line four of the hexagon’s six sides; the height of the bookshelves, floor to ceiling, is
hardly greater than the height of a normal librarian. One of the hexagon’s free sides opens onto
a narrow sort of vestibule, which in turn opens onto another gallery, identical to the first-
identical in fact to all.”
Explanation (not included sa PPT) : Luis Borges has beautifully presented a metaphorical replica
of the universe in this excellent piece of literature. His library is different from the libraries
people encounter in the world. A reader can find millions of books no matter they are completed
or not. On the one hand, some extracts make sense while on the other hand, it comprises texts
that are completely absurd. However, the use of sensory language has added more to the rich
description of this endless library. For example, “floors above and below-one after another,”,
“Twenty bookshelves,” and “in turn opens onto another gallery” are the powerful images
pertain to the sense of sight.
EXERCISE: SHOW-ME SENTENCES (included sa PPT)
Rewrite each telling sentence into one or several sentences that recreate the scene more
vividly. Feel free to invent details within your revised sentences.
Example:
Telling Sentence
The old man stood in the grass and relaxed as the sun went down.
Showing Sentence
The grass caressed his feet and a smile softened his eyes. A hot puff of air brushed against his
wrinkled cheek as the sky paled yellow, then crimson, and within a breath, electric indigo.

1. The boy pulled a large fish out of the river.

2. The girl stood on the corner of the busy intersection and witnessed the accident as it
happened.
3. The woman had a terrible headache.
4. The meadow slowly came to life as the sun came up.

SIGHT

Gigantic
Teeny-tiny
Bulky
Glitter
Sparkling
Shimmering
Shiny
Glowing
Crooked
Hazy
Shadowy
Gloomy
Drab
Murky
Dull
Knotty
Vibrant
TOUCH

Fluffy
Gritty
Rough
Smooth
Slimy
Sticky
Creepy
Crisp
Hairy
Chilled
To stifle
Woolly
Crisp

HEAR

Buzz
Hubbub
Humming
Faint
Deafening
Squeaky
Earsplitting
Serene
To sizzle
To hiss
To shriek
Snappy
Boom!
Roaring
Thundering
Crunchy

TASTE AND SMELL

Bland
Rotten
Fragrant
Stale
Juicy
Stinky
Gooey
Bitter
Yummy
Lipsmackingly
Pungent
Zesty
Sweet
Spice