Imagery of hearing
Obama remembers the sound that came from his footsteps as he walked, and this depicts the sense of hearing to readers. Obama writes, “My stride got longer, my steps a bit brisker my footfall on stone echoed by the Secret Service detail trailing me few yards back.” The echoes heard from Obama's strides, and footsteps show his commitment to observing his working schedule.
The Garden
Obama’s description of the White House garden depicts the sense of sight to readers. Obama says, “Oh, how that garden looked! The shady magnolias rose high at each corner: the hedges, thick and rich green: the crab apple trees pruned just so. And flowers, cultivated in greenhouses a few miles away, providing a constant explosion of color-reds and yellows and pinks and purples; in spring, tulips massed in bunches, their heads tilted toward the sun; in summer, lavender heliotrope and geraniums and lilies; in fall, chrysanthemums and daisies and wildflowers."
The imagery of sight
Obama opens his book by describing the White House and its environs. As he walks, Obama describes what he sees around the compound. Obama writes, “Each time I walked down the colonnade or looked out the window of the Oval Office, I saw the handiwork of the men and women who worked outside.” The imagery helps readers to visualize the State House scene and its beauty.
Imagery of Smell
As Obama walks back to his residence at night, he smells the scent of soil and grass. Obama writes, “On the evening walk back to the residence, my briefcase stuffed with papers, I would try to slow myself down, sometimes even stop. I would breathe air laced with the scent of soil and grass and pollen and listen to the wind or the patter of rain."
