DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
The Descriptive Essay is an essay in which the writer employs imagery that appeals to the readers senses. The goal of the Descriptive Essay is to get the reader to EXPERIENCE via his/her senses.
That means that the writer will use words, phrases, images, etc. that directly appeal to the readers ability to HEAR, SEE, SMELL, TASTE, and SENSE those words, phrases, images, etc.
Example:
The bell sounded loud. (This choice of words does not involve the reader’s senses).
The bell’s metallic clanging filled the room. (This choice of words allows the reader to HEAR the bell in his/her mind).
My pizza was good. (This choice of words does not involve the reader’s senses)
Biting into the pizza slice, an explosion of tangy, sweet vine ripened tomatoes filled my mouth. (This choice of words allows the reader to taste the pizza sauce in his/her mind).
The smell was bad. (Poor word choice)
The aroma of damp, rotting flesh made me gag. (Better choice of words).
Remember:
- Use words/phrases that engage the human senses.
- Use vibrant adjectives. (miniscule instead of small)
- Be organized do not confuse the reader
- Read you story before you turn it in for a grade.
- Proofread your story. Correct errors that you find.
Note: Be sure that you follow the Essay Recipe.
Student Sample:
I watched a thunderstorm, far out over the sea. It began quietly, and with nothing visible except tall dark clouds and a rolling tide. There was just a soft murmur of thunder as I watched the horizon from my balcony. Over the next few minutes, the clouds closed and reflected lightning set the rippling ocean aglow. The thunderheads had covered up the sun, shadowing the vista. It was peaceful for a long time.
I was looking up when the first clear thunderbolt struck. It blazed against the sky and sea; I could see its shape in perfect reverse colors when I blinked. More followed. The thunder rumbled and stuttered as if it could hardly keep up. There were openings in the cloud now, as if the sky were torn, and spots of brilliant blue shone above the shadowed sea.
I looked down then, watching the waves. Every bolt was answered by a moment of spreading light on the surface. The waves were getting rough, rising high and crashing hard enough that I could hear them.
Then came the rain. It came all at once and in sheets, soaking the sand, filling the sea. It was so dense I could only see the lightning as flashes of light. It came down so hard the thunder was drowned. Everything was rhythmic light and shadow, noise and silence, blending into a single experience of all five senses.
In an instant it stopped. The storm broke. The clouds came apart like curtains. The rain still fell, but softly now. It was as if there had never been a storm at all, except for a single signature. A rainbow, almost violently bright, spread above and across the water. I could see the horizon again.