Imagery is the use of figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses. In Maya Angelou’s selection from her memoir, Sister Flowers, Angelou uses imagery to help the readers paint and imagine a realistic picture in one’s mind. The author writes, “The sweet smell of vanilla had met us as she opened the door” (par. 29). This description of the fragrant vanilla scent allows the reader to experience the smell along with Marguerite. Angelou chooses to include descriptive words and phrases to emphasize the smell the reader is encountering. In addition to imagery, Angelou also uses metaphors. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that
