The Car Poem
One of the first significant uses of imagery in the book is found within a poem written by the young male student who is the story's protagonist:
"So much depends
upon
a blue car
splattered with mud
speeding down the road."
Ironically, it is the lack of much of anything other than imagery in this short work of verse which gains it attention from the teacher. The student is not prepared for questions from the teacher about why so much depends upon this car which is tangibly presented in motion for the reader. One of the first important lessons he learns about writing poetry is that imagery without a story behind it is lesser literature.
The Rewrite
The teacher has encouraged the student to do more with the imagery of the blue car:
"Blue car, blue car, shining bright
in the darkness of the night:
who could see you speeding by
like a comet in the sky?"
While the student's rewrite retains the fundamentals of imagery—expressed in the vividness of colors and the sensation of fast movement––the additions lend it a more musical quality. The comparison to a comet creates a visceral feeling of increased velocity. The result is that in this version the car is traveling faster than it was portrayed in the original version.
Colors
When the student relates the story of picking out a dog from the shelter to adopt, the moment is given sensory depth through the imagery of colors:
"the yellow dog
standing against the cage
...
and his long red tongue
hanging out
and his big black eyes"
Although the focus of the scene is on the cages and the dogs behind them, this moment of decision is enhanced through the use of color. The yellow, red, and black of the dog is vividly delineated to give a quick and efficient description. This focus on color makes it much easier to imagine the dog than identifying it simply by its breed.
The Visit
Much of the latter part of the book is concerned with the emotional turmoil felt by the student as he awaits word on whether a famous poet he has invited to speak at his school actually accepts. He does and the boy expresses his emotions through onomatopoeia as imagery:
"All of my blood
in my veins
was bubbling
and all of the thoughts
in my head
were buzzing"
The use of words like bubbling and buzzing create a sense of kinetic energy. This energy makes the emotional state of the boy more tangibly felt than simply saying he was excited and nervous. The anxiety is made more immediate and empathetic.
