The Imagery of Jonathan Edwards

Ayush ParikhRishika Padnani

Collin DraperRohan Agarwal

Visual

“. . . dreadful pit of glowing flames” “. . . flames gather and flash about

them.”

Tactile (feel/touch)

“Hung by a slender of thread”

“. . . you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into . . .”

Olfactory (smell)

“His wrath for you burns like fire” Can smell▪ Fire▪ Brimstone

“And ready every moment to singe it” Can smell

singing

Gustatory

“The wrath of God is like great waters”

“. . . from being made drunk with your blood.”

Auditory (hear)

“And the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course” Hear the waters

What was Edwards’ purpose?

With these images, Edwards was trying to instill fear in the listener and also make them realize the grave situation they were in.

Choose 2 specific images and decide what they DO to the reader.

Image 1: “It is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit . . . that you are held over in the hand of God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed against you.” (81)Effect: - Makes reader fearful (of not doing

the right thing)- Representation of hell

Image 2

“The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you and is dreadfully provoked . . .” (81)

Effect: - Makes reader feel small

and insignificant- No control over one’s life

- Hopeless

Most-Used Form of Imagery

Visual

Why?One can relate to it the most because we use that sense the most. It allows the reader to engage their imagination and thus gives them an idea of the situation they are in.

Least-Used Form of Imagery

Gustatory

Why?Due to the metaphor that Edwards uses most (a fiery bottomless pit), gustatory imagery did not apply as much.