Imagery and Mood
Painting with Words
Discover how authors use vivid descriptions to make a scene feel a certain way to readers.
What is Imagery?
Imagery is descriptive language that paints a picture in your mind. It uses your five senses so you can almost see, hear, smell, taste, or touch what the author describes.
The Five Senses of Imagery
Good writers use these senses to make their writing come alive. The more senses an author describes, the more real the scene feels.
What is Mood?
Mood is the feeling a reader gets from a story or scene. It is the emotion in the air, like happy, scary, peaceful, lonely, or exciting.
How Imagery Creates Mood
The Big Idea
Imagery vs. Mood
How to Find the Mood
Example 1: A Cheerful Scene
Sense words: golden sun (sight), sparkled (sight), chirped (sound), sweet smell (smell), warm air (touch).
Example 2: A Scary Scene
Sense words: cold wind (touch), howled (sound), dark shadows (sight), creaking door (sound), groaned (sound).
Example 3: Same Place, Two Moods
A writer can describe the same forest two ways. Watch how the imagery changes the feeling.
Common Mistakes
Mood Clue Chart
| Imagery Clues | Likely Mood |
|---|---|
| Bright sun, warm air, sweet smells | Happy, cheerful |
| Soft sounds, gentle light, calm water | Peaceful, calm |
| Dark shadows, cold wind, creaking | Scary, tense |
| Gray skies, empty rooms, silence | Sad, lonely |
| Loud cheers, fast action, bright colors | Exciting |
Quick Recap
Question 1 of 5
What does imagery mean in a story?
Question 2 of 5
"The bright sunlight warmed her cheeks. She heard children laughing in the park, and the smell of fresh popcorn drifted by. She skipped happily down the path."
What is the mood of this passage?
Question 3 of 5
"A cold wind crept under the door. The candle flickered, throwing long shadows on the wall. Somewhere in the dark, a floorboard creaked."
Which image best creates a scary mood?
Question 4 of 5
What is the difference between imagery and mood?
Question 5 of 5
"The empty house was silent. Dust covered the gray furniture, and a single chair sat alone by the cold, dark window. No one had visited in years."
What mood does this imagery create?
You're a Mood Detective!
Now you know that imagery is the sense words an author chooses, and those words create the mood. Whenever you read, ask yourself: "What pictures do I see, and how do they make me feel?"