Benches Worn Smooth (Visual Imagery)
During the cursive lesson, Franz reflects on how little has changed in the schoolroom Hamel has spent the last forty years teaching in. Daudet writes: "Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were taller, and the hopvine he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof." In this example of visual imagery, Daudet conveys the passage of time by detailing the incremental growth and wearing of the objects that fill out the setting.
Sound of Pens Scratching Paper (Auditory Imagery)
Given the exceptional and mournful circumstances of their final French lessons, Franz and the other students focus on their work like never before. During the writing lesson, Franz comments that "you ought to have seen how everyone set to work, and how quiet it was! The only sound was the scratching of the pens over the paper." In this example of auditory imagery, Daudet conveys the silence of the room by emphasizing the quiet and precise sound of the students' pens on paper.
