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Descriptive Essay 6995 Views
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Description:
This video defines a descriptive essay—it’s just what it sounds like. It covers what makes a strong descriptive essay—from providing unique details to help the reader live your experience to using comparative language—and helps guide you on your bath to a focused, engaging essay.
Transcript
- 00:04
Descriptive Essay, a la Shmoop. A Descriptive Essay is exactly what it sounds
- 00:09
like...
- 00:09
...it's a piece of writing about a person, place, memory, situation, or... cat, that
- 00:15
you describe in detail.
- 00:17
The process of reading your never-ending prose can be an agonizing experience for the reader
Full Transcript
- 00:25
if the descriptions are predictable ...
- 00:27
For example: My cat is fluffy. He likes tuna. I love him very much.
- 00:38
Still awake? This description tells the reader nothing new or special or memorable.
- 00:43
There is nothing that differentiates this cat from the millions of other pet cats in
- 00:47
the world. The key to a good description is to surprise
- 00:52
the reader. No jumping out of closets, please.
- 00:55
But you will need to get their attention by providing unique and memorable details.
- 00:59
For example:
- 01:00
My cat, Pirate, has one eye and three legs. He gets into a lot of bar fights. He shows
- 01:08
his affection by puking hairballs onto my sheets while I'm asleep.
- 01:16
Sometimes he grooms me by licking my arms with his rough tongue, leaving behind streaks
- 01:22
of slimy saliva that smell strongly of rotten fish.
- 01:30
Okay, so this could still describe just about any cat in the world.
- 01:35
With the exception of the "one eye, three legs" bit.
- 01:37
But at least it's more descriptive. One of the key things to remember when you
- 01:41
write your descriptions is that you need to engage your readers' five senses:
- 01:45
Touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing.
- 01:49
If they've got a sixth sense, try to engage them on that level, too. Maybe get some of
- 01:52
the dead people to help. Make your readers live your experience by
- 01:58
filling in all the details they'll need in order to inhabit your memories.
- 02:02
It's okay—there's plenty of room in there, and company's welcome.
- 02:07
Pay close attention to your language; you don't want a line to sit dully on the page
- 02:11
when a different word choice could really make a sentence pop.
- 02:15
A popular way to liven up descriptions is to use similes and metaphors, or to compare
- 02:19
one thing to another.
- 02:21
Like apples and oranges. Peas and carrots. Anchovies and ice cream.
- 02:26
Hey, don't judge. Maybe we just have a really sophisticated palate.
- 02:34
This comparison can be made briefly, within a particular description...
- 02:37
... or the thread of comparison can run throughout the entire paper. Which is a great way to
- 02:41
fit in your cardio for the day. Your standards for your comparisons don't
- 02:47
have to be sky high.
- 02:50
If you succeed in entertaining your reader, then your essay is a success.
- 02:56
Another important thing to remember as you write the Descriptive Essay is to keep it
- 03:00
focused.
- 03:00
It's easy to meander and lose your way once you start describing something.
- 03:03
And your GPS won't help you here. To guard against this pitfall, it's a good
- 03:07
idea to describe in a line or so your purpose for writing the essay.
- 03:13
Dig deeper. Is it to convince the reader that your grandma's chili is the best in the world?
- 03:20
Or that the swamps of Florida are an awesome place to wrestle crocodiles?
- 03:24
Then let all of the descriptions and details grow out of this sentence.
- 03:28
Okay, now it's time for you to do some describing on your own.
- 03:33
May the adjectives be
- 03:55
with you.
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