Desc1113 final

Descriptive Essay(in which you prove you can SHOW rather than TELL)

EXAMPLES and SUGGESTIONS

E

Describe an image...or two...or

three

•Basically, any visual text is a possible focus, but the choice you make will open up or limit your description, so choose carefully.

Compare and contrast two cereal boxes. Focus your

body paragraphs on

these three elements:

ColorCharactersToys/Prizes

Compare and contrast 1-3 images that have been photoshopped to the original photos. The details provided in the body paragraphs should support a clear main point. This essay would combine description, comparison contrast, analysis, and argument.

Go online or to our library, find collections of photographs, like these from Bruce Davidson, and write a detailed description of one, compare and contrast two, or detail three as examples that prove your thesis.

The Edelman Gallery online is a great resource:<http://www.edelmangallery.com/galleryartists.htm>

Compare and contrast two magazine covers: two recent issues or, as above, one from the past and one from today. (Seventeen Magazine cover archive: http://www.seventeen.com/fun/articles/65th-anniversary-cover-archive)

Describe a song or two...

Because you don’t get a visual to describe with this option, providing enough detail is a tall

order and you will need to have some ability to describe music to attempt this option.

Compare and contrast an original song to a cover version: deal with instrumentation, vocal delivery, and lyrical impact.

Dolly original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1plvBR02wDsWhite Stripes cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePnoUv7qSCA

•Compare and contrast a recent song and the older song it rips off•Compare two versions of a Christmas classic•Compare and contrast two songs by the same artist•Compare and contrast one song that answers or responds to another song (feuding songs)

If you write about place, you should read some example descriptions of places first.

http://ccfi.educ.ubc.ca/Courses_Reading_Materials/ccfi508E/Gates%20Jr_InTheKitchen.pdf

Describe a place.

•Detail three rooms in your dream home or three areas on your dream property to build a dominant impression of the home as a whole.

•Describe the room you spend most of your time in NOW.

•Describe a place that holds special meaning for you.

•A descriptive essay with one subject should have as its thesis a dominant impression that is stated in the introduction and developed with details. •A descriptive essay with two subjects should compare and contrast the two with three points of comparison. Select common elements for the points of comparison. The essay should be focused by a strong thesis statement that is proven with details throughout the essay. •A descriptive essay with three subjects should use the subjects as examples that prove the main idea.

•Whether you write about one, two, or three subjects, your point should be supported by sensory and specific details.