Imagery of a rose soaked in blood
Towards the end of "Shadow Play" there is an impactful image after the man was killed. There are roses on the ground and one of them is soaked in the man's blood. The sky gets even cloudier and there is the castle tower in the background. There is the soft sound of the river and a bird's song coming from the darkness of the park. The image is quite ominous reflecting the deed done.
Imagery of nature in "Shadow Play"
"Shadow Play" is filled with imagery of nature from river to the landscape of reeds meadows and mountains. Among this imagery there is a castle being reflected in the flowing water of the river. The idyllic place inspires the poet Floribert who ends up killed at the end. The imagery of nature after the brutal murder at the end adds to the ominousness of the deed.
Imagery in "The Poet"
The imagery of the river and the poet watching the festivities on the opposite side is at the beginning and at the end of the tale. Han Fook stands alone and watches the festivities on the other side of the river unfold. He is listening to the faint murmur of the river, the melodies of the singers and flute players. Instead of joining the festivities Han Fook is keener on watching them as an observer. He wants to capture the beauty of the moment, but instead hears another man capturing it in the exact way he wanted, but wasn't able to. At the end when Han Fook has mastered his art from this unusual teacher, he is the one whose song captures the moment and stirs the soul of the listener.