Jonathan Kolson
Mrs. Zurkowski
Yellows
4/20/11
Imagery in Their Eyes were Watching God.
Definition of Imagery: the figurative language, especially metaphors and similes, used in poetry, plays, and other literary works
1. “The great rope of black hair swinging to her waist and unraveling in the wind like a plume,” Janie’s hair, which is a big symbol in the novel. Pg. 2
2. “Time makes everything old so the kissing, young darkness became a metropolis old thing while Janie talked.” Time slowed down while Janie told her story to Phoebe. Pg. 7
3. “She had glossy leave and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her.” Janie is like the blooming pear tree and how it is blooming as she is growing up and becoming a woman. Pg. 11
4. “Mind- pictures brought feelings, and feelings dragged out dramas from the hollows of her heart.” Nanny is trying to raise Janie with the past things from her life, and is trying to project a better version of her life in Janie. Pg. 16
5. “They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.” This is the start of a new day, and Janie is getting a chance at happiness. Pg. 33
6. “The fact that the thought pictures were always crayon enlargements of life made it even nicer to listen.” Listening to stories and talking makes life seem a lot better. Pg. 51
7. “The new moon had been up and down three times before she got worried in mind.” It took awhile before Janie started noticing that she wasn’t falling in love with Logan. Pg. 22
8. “She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether.” Life is always changing and moving. Pg. 25
9. “Her silken ruffles rustled and muttered about her.” Her dress swayed around her. Pg. 41
10. “They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.” Janie and Joe were watching the sun set and night start. Pg. 33
11. “Tea Cake stood there mimicking the tuning of a guitar.” Tea Cake was playing an imaginary guitar for Janie. Pg. 100
12. “Poor Joe Starks. Bet he turns over in his grave every day.” Joe Starks would be upset about Janie dating another man. Pg. 110
13.”But it was always going to be dark to Janie if Tea Cake didn’t soon come back.” She would always be heartbroken without Tea Cake. Pg. 120
14. “People ugly from ignorance and broken from being poor.” Referencing that the people walking to the muck are poor. Pg. 131
15.”A little chunky girl took to picking a play out of Tea Cake in the fields and in the quarters.” The girl was trying to steal Tea Cake from Janie because she likes him. Pg. 136
16.”Mrs. Turner was a milky sort of a woman that belonged to child-bed.” Referencing that she is tall, fair-skinned, and skinny. Pg. 140
17.”Mah woman would spread her lungs all over Palm Beach County, let alone knock out mah jaw teeth.” Janie would yell loudly if Tea Cake ever hit her. Pg.148
18.”The sea was walking the earth with a heavy heel.” The water was flooding the muck. Pg. 162
19.” She was too busy feeling grief to dress like grief.” Janie could not bring herself to dress sad because she was already so sad.
20.”The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall.” The sunshine of the sunset was casting a glow against the back wall.
My favorite imagery was “Poor Joe Starks. Bet he turns over in his grave every day.” I liked it because it shows how people thought about her love life.
