Coming Home at Twilight in Late Summer

We turned into the drive,
and gravel flew up from the tires
like sparks from a fire. So much
to be done—the unpacking, the mail
and papers; the grass needed mowing ...
We climbed stiffly out of the car.
The shut-off engine ticked as it cooled.

And then we noticed the pear tree,
the limbs so heavy with fruit
they nearly touched the ground.
We went out to the meadow; our steps
made black holes in the grass:
and we each took a pear,
and ate, and were grateful.

—Jane Kenyon

Poetic images evoke not only a mental image, but memories of sensory experiences that coincide with, or relate to said image. This is something that occurs naturally, however, to elicit a poetic image is to draw forth the senses intentionally and/or to a greater capacity.

In this way, a poetic image is unique to the individual, as it is constructed by ones own past, memories, and thus is imagined.