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Olfactory Imagery

Imagery
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Sensory imagery that evokes smells—fragrant, foul, earthy, etc.—to trigger memory, mood, or atmosphere.

Detailed Definition
Olfactory Imagery describes poetic language that appeals to the sense of smell, capturing scents both pleasant and unpleasant to evoke atmosphere, memory, or associations; for example, “the rancid odor of decay” may symbolize corruption, while “perfumed blossoms in spring” conveys renewal or beauty, showing how olfactory images can enrich mood and deepen sensory immersion in a poem’s world.
Example
Example in poetry:
Olfactory Imagery|Eliot's "smell of steaks in passageways"; Scent description engaging nose; "Burnt-out ends of smoky days"; Fragrance or odor depicted
Additional Notes
Olfactory Imagery appeals to the sense of smell, adding sensory vividness and strong associative memory triggers in poetry.
Also Known As
Smell imagery Scent description Odor picture Fragrance image
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