Difference Between Imagery and Symbolism. Imagery and Symbolism are two of the most common literary devices used by authors. Imagery refers to the use of figurative and descriptive language to create images in the readers’ mind. Symbolism refers to the use of symbols to represent ideas and qualities. This is the main difference between imagery and symbolism. What is Imagery. In literature, imagery refers to an author’s use of vivid and descriptive language to add depth to his writing.