The goal of the descriptive essay is to paint a picture with your words. It is stated in our text: "To describe something-a person, a place, or an object-is to capture it in words so others can imagine it or see it in their mind's eye". Be sure to read this week's lecture and on "Description" in Evergreen before beginning.
With the narrative essay, you gained story-telling and organizational skills, and with the illustration essay, you learned the importance of incorporating strong examples to illustrate your thesis. The descriptive essay builds on these structural skills you've already acquired, and it takes your writing to the next level by focusing on the language.
By using sensory details, you can make a scene come alive for your reader. The descriptive details you choose to include (what you see, hear, taste, smell, feel, etc.) will result in a vivid reading experience.
Choose one of the following topics, and begin prewriting to describe one of the following:
Your most cherished possession
Someone you love's hands
A fallen hero
A storage closet or a garage and what it reveals about the owner
As you brainstorm and jot down ideas, you should ask yourself what point you want to make in the essay, and then craft the thesis statement from that main point. Please note that for this week, you have been given a choice of topics but not a thesis statement, so you will need to create one yourself from your prewriting.
By Monday, August 15, 2011, post your essay in the Discussion Area below. Copy and paste your draft into the response section, and include an attachment if your instructor requires one.
By Tuesday, August 16, 2011, critique two of your peers' drafts.
Reviewing the Descriptive Essay:
Choose two peers' essays to review.
Copy and paste the Peer Review Toolbox questions onto a blank Word document, and then answer them fully in complete sentences for each classmate.
Please give examples from your classmate's paper to explain your opinions and remember to be specific, detailed, and kind.
Once you have finished answering the questions for both classmates' drafts (below), post your two peer reviews.
If you have any questions about how to complete this assignment, contact your instructor by posting a question in the classroom.
Peer Review Toolbox
Commenting on the Writer's Purpose:
Writers describe people, landscapes, and events to convey something important about what they have observed. What was the significance behind describing the subject or the meaning the writer wanted to express? Did the writer convey that sense of importance? If not, how could the writer convey that descriptive purpose?
Commenting on the Structure:
As a reader, do you feel like the descriptions are vivid, detailed, and well organized? Offer feedback that will help the writer construct an overall coherence to his or her descriptions.
Commenting on the Writer's Voice and Audience:
Descriptive writing relies on the writer's ability to convey vivid and immediate sensory impressions to the reader. How well did the writer do that? More than likely, there are places in the essay where you wanted more specific detail or felt that the writer missed an opportunity. Please point out those places to the writer.