Ordinary idiom may praise someone’s bravery by describing him as advancing into battle with a sword. Depending on the circumstances, the central point may be courage and resolve rather than an eyewitness claim about a particular weapon.
Likewise, “his tongue stopped” can convey astonishment, fear or embarrassment, but a physician might literally describe a patient’s inability to move or speak. The same sensory words can serve different functions.
Thus the test of imagery is not merely the presence of bodily parts or visible objects. The reader must consider recognized idiom, what is being discussed, and what the utterance is intended to accomplish in the situation.