Imagery In An Occurrence At Owl Creek

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An Occurrence at Owl Creek is a prime example of the power of imagery. A story about the hanging of a man who supported the Confederate cause during the Civil War and acted against the North leading to his immediate execution. This story effectively uses imagery with consistency, appealing to all senses and types of imagery, Visual imagery pertains to the sense of sight, tactile to touch, olfactory to smell, aural to sounds, and gustatory to taste. The utilization of descriptive words, relatable situations, or physical feelings allows this story to formulate an undeniable image with palpable feelings, sights and sounds. . The most prominent type of Imagery in An Occurrence at Owl Creek is visual imagery. Throughout the story the environment and characters are described in great detail using specific adjectives to allow the reader a sense of the space. The most effective and prominent usage of visual …show more content…

The story is provided depth by its consistent use of aural imagery that compliments the visual imagery. The unrivaled usage of aural imagery is located on the third section, it states “Striking through the thought of his dear ones was a sound which he could neither ignore nor understand: a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion like the strokes of a blacksmith's hammer upon the anvil; it had the same ringing quality.” You can easily hear the same hollow drumming it describes with its usage of relation and vocabulary or both, for example, “Metallic percussion.” This section is powerful not only due its vivid description but its connotation. The metallic percussion and ringing is his watch which is ticking away the final seconds of his life and acting as a reminder of his inevitable fate. All in all, the vivid description and brilliance of the auditory metaphor is what makes this quote the best aural imagery in the

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