English teachers have a unique opportunity to expand and develop the way their students think. Too often, students are comfortable in thinking about reading and writing processes in a concrete or linear way. They are used to "right" or "wrong" answers in their other studies and look for the same in their English assignments. While teachers often use the phrase "there are no wrong answers," many students are suspicious of this notion. The terms that teachers use with such ease--"metaphor," "simile," "allusion," "personification"--can be frustrating for students who are hesitant to venture into thinking patterns beyond what is obviously and securely "right." However, English teachers, using imagery and visual metaphors in conjunction with literary texts and writing exercises, may guide students away from such concrete or linear thinking and into the rich world of symbol and subjective thought. In this article, the authors suggest ways for actively engaging students in analyzing visual images to improve their reading and writing skills. Once they are made aware of the frequency with which they read and use visual images in their daily lives, students are much more likely to successfully interpret literary images in written texts and to use imagery in their writing. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)