Final answer:
The question pertains to the concept of imagery in literature, which involves using language to create vivid mental images and appeal to the senses. It can involve abstract and concrete words to convey emotions and sensations. Analyzing imagery is crucial to understand the sensory and emotional impact of written works.
Step-by-step explanation:
The realization that words can be used to cue mental images of things not physically present, to objects or events that are remote in space and time, refers to the concept of imagery. Imagery is a literary device used to create vivid images in the reader's mind, appealing to any of the five senses. It employs the use of abstract words, which refer to ideas or concepts rather than tangible entities, and concrete words, relating to specific, physical things that can be perceived by the senses. For example, abstract words like 'happiness' or 'love' evoke broad mental impressions, whereas concrete words lead to more direct and specific visualizations. Analyzing imagery in literature involves examining the language and figurative expressions used by an author to evoke sensory experiences in readers.
As pointed out in the LibreTexts definition, poetic images can produce a vision in the reader's mind as if the 'object' were real, even if it's only a representation of a thought or concept. Trying to avoid concretes can be challenging in writing since specific language is often needed to explain sensations like love, ultimately leading readers to an 'extended voyage of neural connections.' Good writing allows readers to become fully immersed in these created experiences. A virtual image in literary terms can be likened to imagery that cannot take a physical form but rather exists in the mind's eye, as suggested by Keller's use of words implying a mental transformation.