Descriptive Essay and its Examples
By describing someone or something, you give your readers a picture in words. To make the words feel real and vivid, you must observe and write specific details that appeal to your readers’ senses, i.e., sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. The descriptive essay needs sharp and colorful details more than any other essay. This essay type helps enhance a person’s creative writing skills and ability to imagine. This blog brings to you descriptive essay and its examples.
Defining Descriptive Essay
A descriptive essay aims to provide a vivid picture to readers’ minds through words. It provides a complete description of the topics with sensory details to engage the human senses. This style of writing needs a keen eye to observe details. It does not only provide detailed descriptions to create an impactful image but also to evoke emotions and memories. For instance, A simple sentence like “the bird flew” could be written as “With its wings spread wide, the bird caught the sunshine and soared across the sky, creating short-lived shadows across the terrain below.”
This essay does not include the writer’s personal opinion in any way. However, his imagination and skill in considering details are needed for this essay type. The description could be of any object, place, event, or person. This essay type can be concise as well as elaborate, depending on the context.
Purpose of Descriptive Essay
There are several purposes for using descriptive writing. Some of them are as follows:
- It helps the readers visualize the scene in a way that makes it seem as if they were experiencing that themselves in real life.
- It also captivates the reader’s interest by drawing them into the scene.
- Conveying emotions and feelings is one of the other purposes of descriptive writing.
Descriptive writing provides a deeper understanding of the subject by giving accounts of its characteristics, qualities, and significance through descriptive details.
Prompts for Descriptive Essay
To get inspiration for descriptive essay writing, you can make use of the underlying prompts:
Describe Your Favorite Place:
Write about your favorite place, whether it’s a busy city street, a beautiful park, or a quaint corner of your Pay attention to the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions you associate with it.Describea Special Occasion:
Think back to a significant event in your life, such as a festival, family reunion, or graduation. Write down how you felt, who you were with, and how you felt.Describean Object of Personal Significance:
Choose an object, such as a cherished gift or a family heirloom, that has special meaning to Explain the look, feel, and memories it evokes.
Describe a Person who has Greatly Influenced You:
Write a biography of a person who has greatly influenced you. Pay attention to their appearance, the kind of person they are, and how they have inspired you.Explain a Nature Scene:
Draw a scene in which nature is present, such as a calm beach, a deep forest, or a towering mountain. To capture the beauty and tranquility of the scene, use colorful language.Write about Your Favorite Hobby or Activity:
Examples of fun activities include hiking, drawing, or playing an instrument. Explain the steps involved, the feelings you experience, and the satisfaction you feel.Describe a Cultural Tradition or Celebration:
Think of a custom or occasion that has special meaning for you. Describe the customs, setting, and general atmosphere of the meeting.Explain an Unexpected Encounter:
Think back to a surprising or special experience you had with someone or something. Pay attention to the details of the exchange and the effect it had on you.Write about a Vivid Dream or Scenario that comes to Mind:
Describe a dream or imaginative scenario. Use descriptive language to bring the imaginative parts to life.Describe a Memorable Place from Your Childhood:
Go back to a place that was important to you as a child, such as a neighborhood, a parent’s house, or a playground. Summarize the essence of the place and how it influenced your life.
Descriptive Essay Examples
The given instructions of descriptive essay and its examples can help the readers to understand the nuances of descriptive writing. These contain vivid details for the readers to visualize themselves in that scene.
A Sample of Descriptive Essay About a Person
The title of the following essay is “The Blind Man by the Street Side.”
As the sun lit up the bustling downtown streets in a golden glow, the distant sounds of street musicians, pedestrians chattering, and car horns created a symphony of city life. In the middle of this colorful landscape, a blind man sat in a weathered wooden chair, his presence both mysterious and reassuring. His hands were old and rough from hard living, and he had heavy shades on over his blind eyes, which seemed to be able to see right through the din.
A plain mat with a few items on it, including a little cup for spare cash, a cracked thermos, and an old leather-bound book, rested at his feet. The metallic clink of the coins in a cup created a positive atmosphere, which was simultaneously comforting and confirming. Though largely ignored, this blind man used his listening skills to become an active participant in the life of his community: he could hear people talking, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the life of the city around him.
His presence was a sign of joy for the children living nearby. They came to him daily to listen to fictional tales, while the adult ones liked him for his sense of empathy and reflection. The blind man reminded all who passed by that true vision comes from the heart and head, not the eyes. He was a symbol of serenity in an otherwise unforgiving world. He was a calm narrator in the world and often decided not to listen, but the sun went down and drew the sky with the last blow.
A Sample of Descriptive Essay About a Place
“My Favorite Traveling Spot”
There is a place where time seems to stand still in the midst of the incessant flow of existence, inviting me to take a deep breath and give my full attention to the present moment. My favorite retreat is a peaceful haven tucked away in the rolling hills of the Lake District; its scenic charm captures my spirit.
Every step you take in this place exposes a landscape painted in emerald and azure tones, with serene lakes reflecting the sky above your head. I wander along the narrow paths, enjoying the gentle sound of falling leaves and the soothing sound of a waterfall cascading over ancient rocks in the distance. The dramatic contrast between the high peaks and quiet valleys of the Lake District adds to its appeal.
Each time I arrive, it is as if nature is beckoning me to take a moment to relax, reflect, and connect. I can lose myself in the beauty of the surroundings and emerge rejuvenated as the calm waves reflect upon me. The worries of the outside world disappear in this sanctuary, leaving only moments of calm and pure bliss. This place of grandeur and peace makes my heart feel very at home.
Descriptive Essay Topics
There could be hundreds and thousands of various topics for descriptive writing. However, it is not an easy task to opt for a workable topic. Students can use any of the underlying topics to practice descriptive essay writing:
Topics of Descriptive Essay for High School Students
The below-mentioned topics could be best for a high school student to write descriptive essays on:
- Family Portrait
- The Diner at Midnight
- The Pet Shop
- Library Study Area
- The Food Cart Near Our Home
Topics of Descriptive Essay for University Students
The following topics can help university students practice their descriptive essays:
- The Cracked Parking Lot of Our University
- Tired-Looking Waitress
- Vacant Booths
- My First Ever Adventure
- My Favorite Study Spot