Imbongi ngumuntu odala izinkondlo.Izimbongi zingazichaza kanjalo noma zichazwe kanjalo ngabanye abantu. Imbongi ingavele ibe ngumbhali wezinkondlo, noma ingenze ubuciko bayo kuzethameli. Umsebenzi wembongi empeleni ungowokuxhumana, kungaba ukuveza imibono ngomqondo ongokoqobo, njengokubhala ngomcimbi othile noma indawo ethile, noma ngokomfanekiso. Izimbongi bezikhona kusukela endulo, cishe kuzo zonke izilimi, futhi zikhiqize imisebenzi eyehluka kakhulu emasikweni nasezinkathini ezahlukahlukene.Kuyo yonke impucuko nolimi ngalunye, izimbongi zisebenzise izitayela ezahlukahlukene eziguqukile ngokuqhubeka komlando wokubhala, okuholele emlandweni wezimbongi ezahlukahlukene njengezincwadi abazikhiqizile. E- Ancient Rome, izimbongi eziqeqeshiwe zazivame ukuxhaswa ngabathengi, abacebile abacebile kubandakanya izikhulu nezikhulu zamasosha.Isibonelo, uGaius Cilnius Maecenas, umngani kaKesari Augustus, wayengumphathi obalulekile wezimbongi zika-Augustan, kufaka phakathi bobabili uHorace noVirgil.Ngenkathi u- Ovid, imbongi esungulwe kahle, waxoshwa eRoma ngu- Awugustu wokuqala. NgeNkathi Ephakathi Ephakathi, abahlukumezi babeyisigaba esibalulekile sezimbongi futhi bevela ezizindeni ezahlukahlukene.Babehlala futhi behamba ezindaweni eziningi ezahlukahlukene futhi babebhekwa njengabalingisi noma abaculi njengezimbongi.Babevame ukuphathwa, kepha abaningi babehamba kakhulu. Isikhathi se- Renaissance saqhubeka nokuxhaswa kwezimbongi ngabasebukhosini.Izimbongi eziningi, kodwa, bezineminye imithombo engenayo, okubandakanya amaNtaliyane anjengoDante Aligheri, uGiovanni Boccaccio noPetrarch 's works in a pharmist's guild and William 's Shakespeare's theatre.