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To the Man I Married by Angela Manalang-Gloria

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To the Man I Married Angela Manalang-Gloria I You are my earth and all the earth implies: The gravity that ballasts me in space, The air I breathe, the land that stills my cries For food and shelter against devouring days. You are the earth whose orbit marks my way And sets my north and south, my east and west, You are the final, elemented clay The driven heart must turn to for its rest. If in your arms that hold me now so near I lift my keening thoughts to Helicon As trees long rooted to the earth uprear Their quickening leaves and flowers to the sun, You who are earth, O never doubt that I Need you no less because I need the sky! II I can not love you with a love         That outcompares the boundless sea, For that were false, as no such love         And no such ocean can ever be. But I can love you with a love         As finite as the wave that dies And dying holds from crest to crest         The blue of everlasting skies.

— Updated 27 July 2012. Thanks, V.

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Pingback: to the man i married by angela manalang-gloria « filipino poets in world war ii | the gods envy us, lily me doza.

I learned this poem during my first year of high school (1975) together with Elizabeth Barret Browning’s How Do I Love Thee. To The Man I Married’s part II became my favorite & I can recite it even in my sleep up to the present. I found this piece today because I recited the part II for my 5 years old grandson who asked me about my favorite poem, searched the poem & read the part I to him. Thank you for bringing me back to my romantic youth..)

Part II of To The Man I Married quickly became a favorite of mine, and to this day, I can still quote it in my sleep. While she is still in the body, her spouse offers her the opportunity to rest.

This is also one of my favourites by her. A lasting gem from the 1940s!

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  • How to write a descriptive essay | Example & tips

How to Write a Descriptive Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

A descriptive essay gives a vivid, detailed description of something—generally a place or object, but possibly something more abstract like an emotion. This type of essay , like the narrative essay , is more creative than most academic writing .

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Table of contents

Descriptive essay topics, tips for writing descriptively, descriptive essay example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about descriptive essays.

When you are assigned a descriptive essay, you’ll normally be given a specific prompt or choice of prompts. They will often ask you to describe something from your own experience.

  • Describe a place you love to spend time in.
  • Describe an object that has sentimental value for you.

You might also be asked to describe something outside your own experience, in which case you’ll have to use your imagination.

  • Describe the experience of a soldier in the trenches of World War I.
  • Describe what it might be like to live on another planet.

Sometimes you’ll be asked to describe something more abstract, like an emotion.

If you’re not given a specific prompt, try to think of something you feel confident describing in detail. Think of objects and places you know well, that provoke specific feelings or sensations, and that you can describe in an interesting way.

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See an example

descriptive essay on the man i wish to marry

The key to writing an effective descriptive essay is to find ways of bringing your subject to life for the reader. You’re not limited to providing a literal description as you would be in more formal essay types.

Make use of figurative language, sensory details, and strong word choices to create a memorable description.

Use figurative language

Figurative language consists of devices like metaphor and simile that use words in non-literal ways to create a memorable effect. This is essential in a descriptive essay; it’s what gives your writing its creative edge and makes your description unique.

Take the following description of a park.

This tells us something about the place, but it’s a bit too literal and not likely to be memorable.

If we want to make the description more likely to stick in the reader’s mind, we can use some figurative language.

Here we have used a simile to compare the park to a face and the trees to facial hair. This is memorable because it’s not what the reader expects; it makes them look at the park from a different angle.

You don’t have to fill every sentence with figurative language, but using these devices in an original way at various points throughout your essay will keep the reader engaged and convey your unique perspective on your subject.

Use your senses

Another key aspect of descriptive writing is the use of sensory details. This means referring not only to what something looks like, but also to smell, sound, touch, and taste.

Obviously not all senses will apply to every subject, but it’s always a good idea to explore what’s interesting about your subject beyond just what it looks like.

Even when your subject is more abstract, you might find a way to incorporate the senses more metaphorically, as in this descriptive essay about fear.

Choose the right words

Writing descriptively involves choosing your words carefully. The use of effective adjectives is important, but so is your choice of adverbs , verbs , and even nouns.

It’s easy to end up using clichéd phrases—“cold as ice,” “free as a bird”—but try to reflect further and make more precise, original word choices. Clichés provide conventional ways of describing things, but they don’t tell the reader anything about your unique perspective on what you’re describing.

Try looking over your sentences to find places where a different word would convey your impression more precisely or vividly. Using a thesaurus can help you find alternative word choices.

  • My cat runs across the garden quickly and jumps onto the fence to watch it from above.
  • My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above.

However, exercise care in your choices; don’t just look for the most impressive-looking synonym you can find for every word. Overuse of a thesaurus can result in ridiculous sentences like this one:

  • My feline perambulates the allotment proficiently and capers atop the palisade to regard it from aloft.

An example of a short descriptive essay, written in response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how a descriptive essay works.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

If you’re not given a specific prompt for your descriptive essay , think about places and objects you know well, that you can think of interesting ways to describe, or that have strong personal significance for you.

The best kind of object for a descriptive essay is one specific enough that you can describe its particular features in detail—don’t choose something too vague or general.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, August 14). How to Write a Descriptive Essay | Example & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved March 31, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/descriptive-essay/

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What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

A descriptive essay is a type of creative writing that uses specific language to depict a person, object, experience, or event. The idea is to use illustrative language to show readers what the writer wants to convey – it could be as simple as a peaceful view from the top of a hill or as horrific as living in a war zone. By using descriptive language, authors can evoke a mental image in the readers’ minds, engaging readers and leaving a lasting impression, instead of just providing a play-by-play narrative.

Note that a description and descriptive essay are not the same thing. A descriptive essay typically consists of five or more well-written paragraphs with vivid imagery that can help readers visualize the content, as opposed to a description, which is typically one or more plain paragraphs with no particular structure or appeal. If you are still unsure about how to write a compelling descriptive essay, continue reading!

Table of Contents

What is a descriptive essay, types of descriptive essay topics.

  • Characteristics of descriptive essays

How to write a descriptive essay using a structured outline

Frequently asked questions.

A simple descriptive essay definition is that it is a piece of writing that gives a thorough and vivid description of an object, person, experience, or situation. It is sometimes focused more on the emotional aspect of the topic rather than the specifics. The author’s intention when writing a descriptive essay is to help readers visualize the subject at hand. Generally, students are asked to write a descriptive essay to test their ability to recreate a rich experience with artistic flair. Here are a few key points to consider when you begin writing these.

  • Look for a fascinating subject

You might be assigned a topic for your descriptive essay, but if not, you must think of a subject that interests you and about which you know enough facts. It might be about an emotion, place, event, or situation that you might have experienced.

descriptive essay on the man i wish to marry

  • Acquire specific details about the topic

The next task is to collect relevant information about the topic of your choice. You should focus on including details that make the descriptive essay stand out and have a long-lasting impression on the readers. To put it simply, your aim is to make the reader feel as though they were a part of the experience in the first place, rather than merely describing the subject.

  • Be playful with your writing

To make the descriptive essay memorable, use figurative writing and imagery to lay emphasis on the specific aspect of the topic. The goal is to make sure that the reader experiences the content visually, so it must be captivating and colorful. Generally speaking, “don’t tell, show”! This can be accomplished by choosing phrases that evoke strong emotions and engage a variety of senses. Making use of metaphors and similes will enable you to compare different things. We will learn about them in the upcoming sections.

  • Capture all the different senses

Unlike other academic articles, descriptive essay writing uses sensory elements in addition to the main idea. In this type of essay writing, the topic is described by using sensory details such as smell, taste, feel, and touch. Example “ Mahira feels most at home when the lavender scent fills her senses as she lays on her bed after a long, tiring day at work . As the candle melts , so do her worries” . It is crucial to provide sensory details to make the character more nuanced and build intrigue to keep the reader hooked. Metaphors can also be employed to explain abstract concepts; for instance, “ A small act of kindness creates ripples that transcend oceans .” Here the writer used a metaphor to convey the emotion that even the smallest act of kindness can have a larger impact.

  • Maintain harmony between flavor and flow

The descriptive essay format is one that can be customized according to the topic. However, like other types of essays, it must have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The number of body paragraphs can vary depending on the topic and available information.

It is crucial to remember that a descriptive essay should have a specific topic and goal, such as sharing personal experiences or expressing emotions like the satisfaction of a good meal. This is accomplished by employing exact language, imagery, and figurative language to illustrate concrete features. These language devices allow the writer to craft a descriptive essay that effectively transmits a particular mood, feeling, or incident to readers while also conjuring up strong mental imagery. A descriptive essay may be creative, or it may be based on the author’s own experiences. Below is a description of a few descriptive essay examples that fit into these categories.

  • Personal descriptive essay example

A personal essay can look like a descriptive account of your favorite activity, a place in your neighborhood, or an object that you value. Example: “ As I step out of the front door, the crisp morning air greets me with a gentle embrace; the big chestnut tree in front, sways in the wind as if saying hello to me. The world unfolds in a symphony of awakening colors, promising a day filled with untold possibilities that make me feel alive and grateful to be born again”.

  • Imaginative descriptive essay example

You may occasionally be required to write descriptive essays based on your imagination or on subjects unrelated to your own experiences. The prompts for these kinds of creative essays could be to describe the experience of someone going through heartbreak or to write about a day in the life of a barista. Imaginative descriptive essays also allow you to describe different emotions. Example, the feelings a parent experiences on holding their child for the first time.

Characteristics of descriptive essay s

The aim of a descriptive essay is to provide a detailed and vivid description of a person, place, object, event, or experience. The main goal is to create a sensory experience for the reader. Through a descriptive essay, the reader may be able to experience foods, locations, activities, or feelings that they might not otherwise be able to. Additionally, it gives the writer a way to relate to the readers by sharing a personal story. The following is a list of the essential elements of a descriptive essay:

  • Sensory details
  • Clear, succinct language
  • Organized structure
  • Thesis statement
  • Appeal to emotion

descriptive essay on the man i wish to marry

How to write a descriptive essay, with examples

Writing an engaging descriptive essay is all about bringing the subject matter to life for the reader so they can experience it with their senses—smells, tastes, and textures. The upside of writing a descriptive essay is you don’t have to stick to the confinements of formal essay writing, rather you are free to use a figurative language, with sensory details, and clever word choices that can breathe life to your descriptive essay. Let’s take a closer look at how you can use these components to develop a descriptive essay that will stand out, using examples.

  • Figurative language

Have you ever heard the expression “shooting for the stars”? It refers to pushing someone to strive higher or establish lofty goals, but it does not actually mean shooting for the stars. This is an example of using figurative language for conveying strong motivational emotions. In a descriptive essay, figurative language is employed to grab attention and emphasize points by creatively drawing comparisons and exaggerations. But why should descriptive essays use metaphorical language? One it adds to the topic’s interest and humor; two, it facilitates the reader’s increased connection to the subject.

These are the five most often used figurative language techniques: personification, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, and allusion.

  • Simile: A simile is a figure of speech that is used to compare two things while emphasizing and enhancing the description using terms such as “like or as.”

Example: Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving – Albert Einstein

  • Metaphor: A metaphor are also used to draw similarities, but without using direct or literal comparisons like done in similes.   

Example: Books are the mirrors of the soul – Virginia Woolf, Between the acts

  • Personification: This is the process of giving nonhuman or abstract objects human traits. Any human quality, including an emotional component, a physical attribute, or an action, can be personified.

Example: Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world – Louis Pasteur

  • Hyperbole: This is an extreme form of exaggeration, frequently impractical, and usually employed to emphasize a point or idea. It gives the character more nuance and complexity.

Example: The force will be with you, always – Star Wars

  • Allusion: This is when you reference a person, work, or event without specifically mentioning them; this leaves room for the reader’s creativity.  

Example: In the text below, Robert Frost uses the biblical Garden of Eden as an example to highlight the idea that nothing, not even paradise, endures forever.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay

– Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost (1923)

Descriptive essays need a combination of figurative language and strong sensory details to make the essay more memorable. This is when authors describe the subject matter employing senses like smell, sound, touch, and taste so that the reader can relate to it better.

Example of a sensory-based descriptive essay: The earthy fragrance of freshly roasted chestnuts and the sight of bright pink, red, orange fallen leaves on the street reminded her that winter was around the corner.

  • Word choice

Word choice is everything in a descriptive essay. For the description to be enchanting, it is essential to utilize the right adjectives and to carefully consider the verbs, nouns, and adverbs. Use unusual terms and phrases that offer a new viewpoint on your topic matter instead of overusing clichés like “fast as the wind” or “lost track of time,” which can make your descriptive essay seem uninteresting and unoriginal.

See the following examples:

Bad word choice: I was so happy because the sunset was really cool.

Good word choice: I experienced immense joy as the sunset captivated me with its remarkable colors and breathtaking beauty.

  • Descriptive essay format and outline

Descriptive essay writing does not have to be disorganized, it is advisable to use a structured format to organize your thoughts and ensure coherent flow in your writing. Here is a list of components that should be a part of your descriptive essay outline:

  • Introduction
  • Opening/hook sentence
  • Topic sentence
  • Body paragraphs
  • Concrete details
  • Clincher statement

descriptive essay on the man i wish to marry

Introduction:

  • Hook: An opening statement that captures attention while introducing the subject.
  • Background: Includes a brief overview of the topic the descriptive essay is based on.
  • Thesis statement: Clearly states the main point or purpose of the descriptive essay.

Body paragraphs: Each paragraph should have

  • Topic sentence: Introduce the first aspect or feature you will describe. It informs the reader about what is coming next.
  • Sensory details: Use emphatic language to appeal to the reader’s senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell).
  • Concrete details: These are actual details needed to understand the context of the descriptive essay.
  • Supporting details: Include relevant information or examples to improve the description.

Conclusion:

  • Summarize key points: Here you revisit the main features or aspects of the subject.
  • Restate thesis statement: Reinforce the central impression or emotion.
  • Clincher statement: Conclude with a statement that summarizes the entire essay and serve as the last words with a powerful message.

Revision and editing:

  • Go over your essay to make sure it is coherent, clear, and consistent.
  • Check for logical paragraph transitions by proofreading the content.
  • Examine text to ensure correct grammar, punctuation, and style.
  • Use the thesaurus or AI paraphrasing tools to find the right words.

A descriptive essay often consists of three body paragraphs or more, an introduction that concludes with a thesis statement, and a conclusion that summarizes the subject and leaves a lasting impression on readers.

A descriptive essay’s primary goal is to captivate the reader by writing a thorough and vivid explanation of the subject matter, while appealing to their various senses. A list of additional goals is as follows: – Spark feeling and imagination – Create a vivid experience – Paint a mental picture – Pique curiosity – Convey a mood or atmosphere – Highlight specific details

Although they both fall within the creative writing category, narrative essays and descriptive essays have different storytelling focuses. While the main goal of a narrative essay is to tell a story based on a real-life experience or a made-up event, the main goal of a descriptive essay is to vividly describe a person, location, event, or emotion.

Paperpal is an AI academic writing assistant that helps authors write better and faster with real-time writing suggestions and in-depth checks for language and grammar correction. Trained on millions of published scholarly articles and 20+ years of STM experience, Paperpal delivers human precision at machine speed.    

Try it for free or upgrade to  Paperpal Prime , which unlocks unlimited access to Paperpal Copilot and premium features like academic translation, paraphrasing, contextual synonyms, consistency checks, submission readiness and more. It’s like always having a professional academic editor by your side! Go beyond limitations and experience the future of academic writing.  Get Paperpal Prime now at just US$19 a month!  

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How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph About a Person (With Examples)

How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph About a Person (With Examples)

4-minute read

  • 7th January 2023

Describing a person or character is difficult for even the most successful authors. It requires a balance of words to make sure they shine through without the language being too heavy. In this article, we’ll look at how to write a descriptive paragraph about a person, share some examples, and talk about different strategies.

1.   Brainstorm Your Ideas

Brainstorming is crucial to any writing process. It’s the process in which you think of ideas for what you’d like to write about. In this case, you’re writing a descriptive paragraph about a person. It’s important to use adjectives to describe the features or characteristics you want to focus on.

One way to come up with ideas for a descriptive paragraph about a person is to go through the five senses. Use the questions below to get some ideas for what you want to highlight about your person.

Appeal to your reader’s senses – smell, taste, sound, sight, and touch

Smell: How does the person smell? Do they wear perfume? Are they doing an activity that would make them have a certain smell?

Taste: Do you associate a certain food with this person? Does it make you think of a specific taste? Can you taste something due to a certain smell they have?

Sound: Do they have a unique voice or laugh? Are they doing an activity that has distinctive sounds?

Sight: What prominent features do they have? For example, think about their dressing style, their smile, or their surroundings. What do you see them doing in your mind when you see a photo of them? What memories do you have of this person? Does this person remind you of something or someone?

Touch: What textures do you see? For example, imagine their skin or clothing. How does it feel if you hug them?

2.   Begin With a Short and Snappy Sentence

Like with any type of writing, you want to hook your reader so that they want to continue reading. In this case, you can use a topic sentence, if appropriate, to introduce your reader to the person. For example:

Or, if you want to be more creative, you can reel them in with a short and snappy sentence about this person. This is called a writing hook . This sentence should focus on a stand-out detail or characteristic about the person you’re describing. For example:

3.   Describe the Person

Now, this is the hard part. But, if you’ve brainstormed plenty of ideas and know which ones you want to focus on, it will be easier. Let’s look at some examples to get a better idea of how to write a descriptive paragraph about a person using the prompt “describe a person you admire.”

Comments: This paragraph is pretty typical of most students. It gives lots of visual details of the person and uses a simile or two (“ Her eyes are like the color of honey” and “Her smile shines like the sun” ). While this strategy gets the job done, it’s not very exciting to read. In fact, it can be quite boring!

Let’s look at how we can rewrite this to make it more exciting.

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Comments: In this example, we focused on one defining characteristic of the person we are describing — her laugh. This strategy places more focus on the person you’re describing, rather than the adjectives you use to describe them.

4.   Edit and Revise

After you write your descriptive paragraph, be sure to read it over. Read it out loud. Read it in a funny voice. Doing this will help you to hear the words and identify which parts do not work or sound awkward.

5.   General Tips for Descriptive Writing

●  Avoid using too many descriptive words.

●  Remember to show the reader, not tell.

●  Appeal to the reader’s five senses – smell, touch, taste, sight, and sound.

●  Focus on a striking or defining characteristic.

●  Use contrasting details from other people or surroundings for emphasis.

●  Use literary devices (metaphors, similes etc.) sparingly and with intention.

●  Use a hook to reel your reader in.

●  Use a variety of short and long sentences.

●  Practice creative writing exercises to improve your descriptive writing skills.

●  Always edit and revise your writing.

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Descriptive Essay

Descriptive Essay Writing

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

How To Write An Impactful Descriptive Essay?

By: Cathy A.

12 min read

Reviewed By: Melisa C.

Published on: Dec 17, 2019

Descriptive Essay

Wondering how to write an impressive descriptive essay? Writing a descriptive essay is both fun and challenging. You need to describe the main topic in detail and by engaging the five senses of the readers.

Students usually get this type of essay in high school and college. Writing a descriptive essay is different from other essays.

You need to focus on describing a certain person, place, or event.

Luckily for you, the following blog post will provide some helpful tips on how to create an engaging essay.

Continue reading to learn how to write an A-worthy descriptive essay.

Descriptive Essay

On this Page

What is a Descriptive Essay?

A descriptive essay is a detailed paper that describes a place, person, situation, object, or emotion. Different people have different points of view and your job is to explain yours in detail.

You may be asked to write a descriptive essay about the beach or forest or about a person or situation. The purpose of this essay is to test the writer’s ability in expressing and explaining their experiences.

Descriptive writing should create a picture in the reader’s mind. You may be required to write a descriptive essay as a high school or college essay assignment.

For a compelling essay, using adjectives and adverbs, details, and figurative language is fundamental. Without proper usage of words, you will not be able to invoke the readers' emotions.

What is the Purpose of a Descriptive Essay?

The purpose of a descriptive essay is to describe a person, place, or personal experience in vivid detail so that the reader can create a picture in his mind.

The descriptive essay is written to get the reader to understand by using descriptive language. It is different from narrative essays, where the writer tells the story about someone else. Usually, it starts with a real-life event and then the content follows the author's imagination.

Descriptive essays are not intended to persuade the reader or show facts and figures to prove something. Descriptive essays are like word paintings that contain personal and descriptive details and these are mostly assigned to students of creative writing.

How to Start a Descriptive Essay

A strong start for your descriptive essay is essential. Analyze your topic from every angle and document the following details:

Analyze the main subjects in detail and observe minute things.

  • Start with observing all the possible aspects of the subject.
  • Don't just observe the object but also its surroundings.
  • Focus on details and features of the subject and develop opinions about them.
  • Be thoughtful; this first step will be the basis for the essay.

Physical Settings

Describing the physical settings is a must in a descriptive essay. When describing, keep the following points in mind.

  • Focus on the subject's position and observe nearby objects
  • Note the time of day and kind of lighting: natural or imitated
  • Physical settings: all the basic and decorative elements
  • The position and shape of the objects
  • Alignment and any other observable information

Physical Features

When describing the physical features of the subject, living or nonliving, consider the following points.

  • Living or nonliving; describe the features in detail
  • The subject's skin color, texture, smoothness, expression, and age
  • The features of inanimate objects in the picture, color, surface, and texture

Create Drama

Storytelling and drama are the life and blood of a good descriptive essay. It turns your essay into an exciting and interesting piece of writing. However, be subtle about adding drama to your sentence structure and add it to complement your story only.

Focus On Your Feelings

Focus on how you feel about the particular topic or person and stick to it. It is easy to get involved when working on the essay. But, focus on your own feelings and write an essay based on them.

Use Of Specific Vocabulary

Vocabulary is important. Select the best words for describing an action or object. Don't always use the first word that comes to mind.

Write slowly and thoughtfully, and use specific words to convey your thoughts.

Psychological Aspects

Writing about a certain situation or behavior of a person focuses on the mental aspects and emotions involved in them.

For Example, describe your emotions when your friend misplaced your notes right before the exam.

You may have had several emotions in that incident. Maybe you were prepared for exams, but this situation put you under pressure and made you feel frustrated and hurt.

Explore those emotions and describe the feelings they aroused. Describe the body language also, if relevant.

Ask Yourself, WHY?

This is the most valuable tip for students. When you are looking at a particular subject, and having difficulty analyzing its aspects, ask yourself "WHY".

  • Why is the subject the way it is?
  • Why does the person you are describing have such a deep-set and cold eyes?
  • Why is the animal so wounded and terrified?
  • Why is this particular place famous?

It is a good practice and after some time you will do it naturally. Knowing the why is important if you want to describe your topic properly.

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How To Write A Descriptive Essay?

When you write a descriptive essay, you help your readers visualize an event, a person, or a story. It is written to make your readers feel what you feel about the respective subject.

A descriptive essay seeks to appeal to some or all of the audience’s five senses. Some key things to consider are:

  • Discussing your subject thoroughly
  • Focusing on details and adding them in your essay
  • Sharing your personal feelings and experience about the subject
  • Observing and describing all sensory details of your subject

Here are the steps to write a descriptive essay easily.

1- Choose an Engaging and Focused Essay Topic

An important step that all strong descriptive essays share is having a focused topic. Before you make the outline, identify the purpose of your essay and use it to create an appropriate thesis statement.This type of paper does not require much personal opinion from you. Its main goal should be focusing on information that will make a dominant impression in readers' minds instead.

2- Research and Gather Important Details

When writing a descriptive essay, it is important to make sure you include as many details and sensory information as possible. This helps your reader fully understand the images that are being presented in their mind's eye.You can organize these ideas into categories so they're easy for you to access when needed.

3- Create an Outline of Your Essay

Your essays must be organized by having subheadings that are clear and concise. Group your main points into individual body paragraphs, each of which should only cover one idea or topic at a time.

4- Write your Essay’s Introduction

A good introductory paragraph is much like a road map because it provides direction to your readers.

It provides relevant background information before diving into more specific details related to how something works or why something happens. These could include statistics or stories from real-life scenarios.

5- Write the Main Body Section of Your Essay

Each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence that keeps the reader hooked on what you are saying. Use specific details instead of making generalized statements, and make sure to give examples if necessary.

6- End with a Strong Conclusion

The conclusion of an essay is the final paragraph, and it should summarize all that you have said throughout. It's a good idea to restate the main points and key details from the essay in this section.

It is important so the reader has everything they need for better understanding before ending off on something new.

If necessary be sure not to introduce anything odd or unusual, to avoid any confusion.

7- Proofread and Revise the Essay Carefully

Once you are done writing the essay, proofread and revise it carefully. Make sure that it is free from all kinds of errors.

Descriptive Essay Outline

Like all the other essays, a descriptive essay also follows the usual 5-paragraph essay structure and format.Before starting, it is important to create an outline. Following are the fundamental elements of your descriptive essay outline:

Descriptive Essay Introduction

The introduction sets the footing for the entire essay. Before heading towards the body section, the reader will come across the introduction.

It is the first impression of your work. It is very important to write an engaging introduction so that the readers read the essay till the end.

Start the essay in an easy-to-understand way and language. Provide background information on your topic so they can understand it and its importance.

To make sure the reader feels your emotions and decides to continue reading further, incorporate the following points in your introduction.

The following tips will guide you on how to write a good introduction for a descriptive essay.

  • Attract the reader's attention with an interesting fact, phrase, or quote
  • Don't bombard them with information
  • Go straight to the main pointsInclude enough information to introduce the topic and its significance.
  • Summarize the argument and the main topic and craft your thesis statement

Descriptive Essay Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is an integral part of your essay. It focuses on the argument and the writer’s main idea, which is to be discussed in the essay.

This statement also provides the writer with a chance of explaining the purpose and scope of the topic. It is intriguing and engaging.

A thesis statement is written at the end of the introduction, it is mainly a single sentence that describes the essay objective. The thesis statement should act as a guide to the reader on what to expect in the essay body. It is like a table of contents of a book, to the reader on contents you will get an idea of what the book is all about so you get to understand it better.

It is like a table of contents of a book. By reading it, you will get an idea of what the book is all about.

A good thesis should contain the following things:

  • Define the essay scope - it should narrow down all the points to clarify its purpose.
  • Avoid using common words - you should be creative with your choice of words.
  • Create suspense - it should attract the reader to the body paragraphs of the essay.

For further information on how to write a thesis for a descriptive essay, check out the following examples.

  • Descriptive essay example about a Place

“Even though monarchy is long gone, Buckingham Palace is here to remind us of the aesthetic beauty of that era.”

  • Descriptive essay example about a Person

“One of the characteristics of Spider-Man is his youthfulness, and the fact that he talks to himself more than Hamlet.”

  • Descriptive essay example about an Emotion

“For numerous reasons, the dark forest is my greatest fear, though not a fear which is necessarily smart to face.”

Descriptive Essay Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs of the essay come next after the introduction and thesis statement. It is the main part that continues your essay.

Usually, an essay consists of three body paragraphs but you can add more if needed.

Don't add more than one central idea in one paragraph. Fusing different ideas will confuse the reader.

Build your paragraphs according to the thesis and introduction.

  • Start each body paragraph with the main sentence
  • Use transitions to move between paragraphs smoothly
  • Each paragraph should be five to six sentences long

Descriptive Essay Conclusion

The concluding paragraph is the last part of an essay, and probably your last chance to impress your reader.

The last part that the reader can keep in mind is the conclusion, which is as important as the rest of the essay.

To make it interesting and thought-provoking, include the following points:

  • Restate the thesis statement
  • Summarize the main points
  • Add an intriguing closing statement

After writing the conclusion, make a review of your essay, identify the mistakes and maintain a good tone throughout the essay.

Descriptive Essay Format Sample

Here is the descriptive essay format to help you understand how you can write a winning descriptive essay.

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY FORMAT (PDF)

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Descriptive Essay Topics Ideas

Descriptive essay topics are often related to physical settings, locations, living beings, and objects.

Make sure that your essay includes the five senses, touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, or at least one of them. It depends on the topic and the kind of feeling that you want to arouse.

Below are some descriptive essay ideas and ways to achieve them.

Living Beings

When you want to write about a person like a family member, consider the following elements:

  • Gender, age, complexion, and expressions
  • Physical features
  • Height, body type, and approximate weight
  • Kind of clothes

These details will add depth to the description and your readers will actually see your narrative.

When animals are the subject, you can add the above points plus the following details:

  • Species and animal
  • Size, weight, color
  • Behavior patterns
  • Temperament
  • Trained or wild?
  • Real or fictional?

Inanimate Subjects

Geographic locations and structures.

When your subject is a place or a building, add the following points:

  • Research about the place and its historical background
  • The color and the building's type
  • A famous place or landmark to draw a comparison and inspire interest

Human behavior and psychology is a compelling descriptive essay subject. When writing about it:

  • Describe the consequences of a particular behavior
  • Discuss the emotional dimension of the topic and how you perceive it personally

Event Or Travel Experience

A travel experience makes a good descriptive essay since you have experienced the event first hand.

Give a detailed description of the place, people at the venue, and the atmosphere of the location.

Idea, Concept, or Occupation

When writing on such topics, focus on how an idea or concept affects society and its different aspects.

Example Descriptive Essay Topics for Students

Choosing a topic for your descriptive essay is quite interesting. You get to choose something that you have an emotional connection with.

When writing a descriptive essay about a person or place, adding their personal traits will be helpful.

Some examples of descriptive essay topics include:

  • Compose a detailed descriptive essay about your best friend.
  • Describe a fancy place that you have created.
  • Describe your dream vacation destination.
  • Describe your favorite mall or store.
  • Describe your childhood home.
  • Descriptive essay about nature.
  • Descriptive essay about a place you visited.
  • Describe the personality of your Maths teacher.
  • Discuss the main characters of your favorite movie.
  • Descriptive essay about chocolate.
  • Write an essay using unique Words to describe yourself.
  • What makes me unique?
  • My first love.

Descriptive Essay Examples

Study these descriptive essay examples and sample papers to understand the main idea, structure, and purpose of descriptive essays.

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY ON MARKET (PDF)

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY EXAMPLE PERSON (PDF)

To help you understand how to write a great descriptive essay, we have a whole blog post dedicated to it. We know that talking about something is one thing and demonstrating it is completely different.

Having a descriptive essay assignment with a short deadline? Looking for someone to do my essay for me ?

5StarEssays.com academic writing professionals are ready to help you. They read the essay details before writing and make sure that they incorporate all the details in it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the features of a descriptive essay.

A descriptive essay provides a perfect opportunity for writers to express their feelings on any subject. Descriptive writing has rich sensory details which appeal to all of your senses.

How do you start a descriptive essay introduction?

The introduction to the descriptive essay should set the scene and introduce the main topic. You can use these sensory details to get a sense of what the essay is all about.

What are the two types of descriptive essays?

There are two types of descriptive essays. The first type deals with people, and the second one is about objects.

What are the elements of a descriptive essay?

Here are the key elements of a descriptive essay.

  • Sensory details
  • Figurative language
  • Central and main theme
  • Precise and clear language
  • Proper organization of ideas

What makes good descriptive writing?

Good and effective descriptive writing consists of vivid sensory details that appeal to all senses including the sense of sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste. Moreover, these essays also explain people’s feelings in writing.

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Finance Essay, Literature

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Descriptive Essays

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Modes of Discourse—Exposition, Description, Narration, Argumentation (EDNA)—are common paper assignments you may encounter in your writing classes. Although these genres have been criticized by some composition scholars, the Purdue OWL recognizes the wide spread use of these approaches and students’ need to understand and produce them.

What is a descriptive essay?

The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student’s ability to create a written account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader).

One might benefit from keeping in mind this simple maxim: If the reader is unable to clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try, try again!

Here are some guidelines for writing a descriptive essay.

  • Take time to brainstorm

If your instructor asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one.

  • Use clear and concise language.

This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation to that which you are intending to describe.

  • Choose vivid language.

Why use horse when you can choose stallion ? Why not use tempestuous instead of violent ? Or why not miserly in place of cheap ? Such choices form a firmer image in the mind of the reader and often times offer nuanced meanings that serve better one’s purpose.

  • Use your senses!

Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked. Embellish the moment with senses.

  • What were you thinking?!

If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild complacency. Tap into this emotional reservoir in order to achieve your full descriptive potential.

  • Leave the reader with a clear impression.

One of your goals is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation in the reader. If your reader can walk away from the essay craving the very pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive essays.

  • Be organized!

It is easy to fall into an incoherent rambling of emotions and senses when writing a descriptive essay. However, you must strive to present an organized and logical description if the reader is to come away from the essay with a cogent sense of what it is you are attempting to describe.

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How to Choose the Right Man to Marry

Last Updated: November 2, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Klare Heston, LCSW . Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With experience in academic counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Master of Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She also holds a 2-Year Post-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, as well as certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR). There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 469,113 times.

Choosing a life partner is a big decision and not one to take lightly. When choosing a man to marry, ask yourself lots of questions and evaluate what you want. Know your own role and responsibilities in creating a happy relationship and recognize that it’s up to you to create the relationship you want. Feel comfortable in who you are and make efforts to share each other’s families. Talk about your differences and any potential problems that may arise if you do become married.

Meeting Your Own Needs

Step 1 Ask yourself what you want.

  • If you’re currently with someone, be honest with yourself and see if you really feel good about your relationship or if you are waiting for something else deep inside.

Step 2 Feel comfortable in who you are.

  • You should feel comfortable expressing your thoughts and feelings openly to this person without fearing their judgment or ridicule.
  • If you feel pressure to be someone else or act a certain way to get their attention, this could be a bad sign.
  • Make sure that you are ready for a committed relationship. Evaluate where you are at this stage of life. Are you ready to get married now? In the next few years? Or are there things you want to accomplish before getting married? Do you know what you want well enough to get married yet?

Step 3 Put yourself first.

  • Look for a man who will support you and encourage you to pursue your desires and dreams.

Step 4 Know if he wants to get married.

  • If you’re waiting years for your boyfriend to come around, have a serious discussion and let him know what you want.
  • Do not be afraid to ask him this question, and do not put off asking because you are afraid of his answer. This is an important question. If you are serious about getting married someday, you should know if your significant other is on the same page or not.

Considering Practical Matters

Step 1 Examine your compatibility.

  • Whether you both love camping or both already have children, make sure there’s at least one thing you can bond over with your potential spouse. Perhaps similar beliefs unite you or you both value family.

Step 2 Have similar conflict styles.

  • Think about how you tend to approach conflict and find a man who has a similar or complementary approach. Even if his style is different than yours, you both should work well together to resolve conflict.
  • Resolving conflicts can help you understand each other better and not hold resentment toward each other.

Step 3 Discuss religious differences.

  • Find common ground in your beliefs or values. Learn to accept their religion and learn about it. [5] X Research source

Step 4 Talk about finances.

  • Consider your values around keeping separate bank accounts or using a joint bank account. Have a plan for tackling debt, creating savings, and dividing money.

Step 5 Build family relationships.

  • If you don’t have a great relationship with your own family and want to feel connected to your future husband’s family, look for a man who lives near his family and has a great relationship with his parents and siblings.

Looking at His Behavior

Step 1 See if he’s emotionally available.

  • Look for a man you can openly talk to and who makes you feel understood.
  • For example, people in a healthy emotional relationship will turn toward one another during times of hardship and in times of celebration.

Step 2 Look at his friendships and family relationships.

  • If he has lots of conflicts in his relationships or has cut off friends or family members, ask about what led to these actions and why they have happened repeatedly.

Step 3 Be ready to change together.

  • If you’re looking for the right man, see if he can be flexible with changes and turn toward you and not away from you. Notice how he responds to changes in his life and ask yourself how he would do in the long-term.

Contributing to a Healthy Relationship

Step 1 Take responsibility.

  • Take responsibility for your own feelings without blaming your partner, and notice if he does this, too. If you feel frustrated, speak up or do something to change things on your own initiative.

Step 2 Accept his flaws.

  • Accept that there will be lots of things you disagree on. Be ready to accept him as he is without feeling the need to change him.
  • Accept that you have flaws, too. Be ready for them to come to light.

Step 3 Heed any warning signs.

  • Don’t expect things to get better. For example, if the man is violent or has an addiction, don’t expect him to change just because you might get married. Be cautious.

How Long Should You Date Before Marriage?

Expert Q&A

Klare Heston, LCSW

  • Don't think about it as "choosing" the right man. Think about it as letting someone in your life and deciding what you want that person to be like. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0

descriptive essay on the man i wish to marry

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Be Loved

  • ↑ https://positivepsychology.com/comfort-zone/
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200409/the-truth-about-compatibility
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199403/what-makes-marriage-work
  • ↑ https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/05/religion-prejudice
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/magnetic-partners/202010/the-importance-shared-interests-in-relationships
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/meet-catch-and-keep/201312/should-you-meet-your-partners-family
  • ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5565725/
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201201/are-you-the-right-mate
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/in-practice/201911/how-accept-your-partners-flaws
  • ↑ https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-what-why-when-and-how-of-detaching-from-loved-ones

About This Article

Klare Heston, LCSW

Choosing the right man to marry depends on a lot of factors, but you want to be sure that you agree on the basics, like religion, finances, and your approach to relationships. While you certainly don’t need to have the same religious beliefs, try to find someone who you can find common ground with and learn from. However, if religion is important to you, you may need to find someone who is willing to convert. Money can be a source of conflict in marriage, so find someone who budgets and spends similarly to you. Additionally, look at how he navigates other relationships. Avoid marrying a man who has a lot of conflicts in his life and isn’t willing to explain why they happen, because he might bring that attitude to a marriage. For more help from our co-author, like how to be comfortable with yourself before getting married, read on. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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16 May 2016

The kind of man you should marry: 10 Qualities

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Everyone has a different love story

For some, their great love mirrors the movies. For others, love isn’t a fairy tale. All love is unique and individualised, and truly amazing.

The kind of man you should marry is someone you’re madly in love with. He should be nothing less than amazing. Love and marriage are special, so the man you marry should be, too.

You know you’ve found someone special when you’ve found the kind of man who has some, all or most of the qualities on this list:

1. he makes you feel relaxed.

You don’t have to be 'on' around him. You’re able to just be yourself. You’re comfortable crying in front of him, yelling in front him and having quiet moments. He’s seen the good, the bad, the hung-over ... and he still loves you.

2. He makes you happy

He makes you smile more than you frown. When you’re with him, you’re really, really happy. He treats you like a queen and does everything he can to make you happy.

3. You’re attracted to him

You find yourself beyond attracted to him. Sometimes you look at him and you think, “He may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but to me, he’s gorgeous".

4. He’s loyal

Your future husband should be loyal and 400% committed to you. He should have eyes only for you. You never have to worry about him being unfaithful, because he’s all yours.

5. He’s a good listener

The man you marry should listen to you, and I mean really listen. He should pay attention to what you say. He lets you vent, regardless of the subject. A man who truly loves you cares about what you have to say.

6. He’s thoughtful and romantic

A man who is thoughtful is a keeper. He should show you he’s considerate by doing things just to put a smile on your face. He knows it’s the little things that count. He does anything he can to make you feel special.

7. He’s sweet

He’s kind and loving because he cares about you and your feelings. He’s affectionate because he can’t help himself. He’s sweet to you in private, and of course, in public, too. He can’t wait to kiss you each and every morning and night.

8. He appreciates you

He tells you out of the blue that you look beautiful. He raves to his friends about you because he knows you’re special. He knows he’s lucky to have you in his life, and he never lets you forget it.

9. He fits into your life

He spends time with your family and you feel comfortable with his. He makes an effort to be present in your life and engage the people you love. He cares about your friends and wants them to like him. He fits into your life perfectly.

10. He’s willing to do anything for you

He makes sacrifices for you because he knows it will make you happy. He plans things he knows you will enjoy. He’s willing to do anything for you, because he loves you.

The man you marry should make you feel grateful and oh, so blessed.

Written by  Carly Spindel

21 Dec 2020

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Best Descriptive Essays: Examples & How-to Guide [+ Tips]

A descriptive essay is an academic paper that challenges a school or college student to describe something. It can be a person, a place, an object, a situation—anything an individual can depict in writing. The task is to show your abilities to communicate an experience in an essay format using vivid, illustrative language.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

To understand how to write this paper, you’ll need to study some descriptive essay examples for college. Besides, you need to contemplate these aspects:

  • how someone or somewhere looks;
  • what happens with the person or place;
  • what historical record you can add, if at all possible.

Our team has prepared this guide so that you’ll manage to write a famous descriptive essay. Learn how to outline your paper, nail the structure and the thesis statement. See the tips and explanations below, along with descriptive essay samples.

  • 🖌️ Why Descriptive?

Research & Prepare

Outline your essay, write descriptively, revise & polish.

  • 🖼️ Essay Examples

🖌️ What Makes an Essay Descriptive?

It’s time to make clear what we mean by a descriptive essay . For example, let’s suppose we were asked to write about a sports stadium. Here are two introductions we might come up with:

Example 1: A stadium is a place where sports, concerts, or other events take place. Usually, there will be a field or a stage, which most often will be surrounded completely or partially by a structure where spectators can sit or stand to watch.

Example 2: American sports nuts got what was probably their first sight of Twickenham rugby stadium when the Rugby World Cup Final was played there in 2015. Rugby has been played at Whitton Road in Twickenham since 1907, and the first international match took place three years later in 1910; when no game was scheduled, horses grazed the pitch. What is now the shining steel and glass double-decker West Stand was still, in the 1960s, a car park. Currently one of the world’s most state-of-the-art grounds, Twickenham holds 82,000 people, and it’s no longer horses when rugby is not being played but world-famous bands like U2, The Rolling Stones, and Bon Jovi who fill the place.

The first introduction is excellent for analytical essays as it’s a definition of what a sports stadium is. The second one depicts a specific stadium, and that – that act of describing – is what makes it descriptive.

Virginia Woolf quote.

When you’re writing a descriptive essay, it’s the style of the second example and not the first that you should be striving for. Try to use living, vivid language to draw a picture in words of whatever it is you’re writing about.

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🎨 How to Write Good Descriptive Essays

When you’re writing a paper, the standard advice would be:

  • Say what you’re going to tell your reader.
  • Say what you’ve told your reader.

The same fundamental structure applies to a descriptive essay. Yet, there are numerous nuances that you should keep in mind to produce an outstanding paper. In the following sections, we’ll elaborate on them in detail.

So, you are ready to write your excellent descriptive essay, but you don’t know how to start? Don’t be lost. While writing any kind of paper, start with the research and preparation. Take a look at our tips!

  • Consider the topic that you’re working with. Whether it’s assigned or picked by you, make sure you understand it completely. Make sure that it’s a descriptive essay that you’re supposed to write.
  • Have a brainstorming session. Jot down some notes on what you think about the matter. Some of them will be useless, but it’s okay: among all the ideas, you’ll find something useful for your paper.
  • Do some research. Find out what other people think about the place or event, if possible. Make notes about essential historical facts and people’s opinions.
  • Add details. A good descriptive essay should be full of specifics. So, include background information, dates, names, physical characteristics, etc. This trick will help the reader to dive deep into the story and get the idea better.
  • Are you going to go with your perspective?
  • Are you going to go with other people’s opinions?
  • Would the best result for this particular essay come from weighing the options? (So, you’d write, “Some people think this and some people believe in that ).

After all these steps, you’ll have enough material to create your descriptive essay structure.

When you have enough facts and memories, you can move on to the next step – outlining. We highly recommend you create an outline before you start writing an essay. It will help you to structure your ideas logically and coherently.

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Your essay outline should include the following elements:

  • Introduction . A good introduction should be catchy and concise. Start with the hook—an attention-grabbing element (rhetorical question, joke, statistics, etc.). Then, provide the general background and highlight the issues your essay will cover. End your intro with a clear thesis statement—a sentence that reflects your position.
  • Body paragraphs . Each body paragraph should contain only one idea and start from the topic sentence, so the reader knows what to focus on. Make your body paragraphs full of details and specific examples. Don’t be too general because you risk losing the reader’s attention very fast.
  • Conclusion . Wrap up your essay by restating the main points and summarizing your key ideas. Don’t include any new facts in the last paragraph. If you suspect that you miss an essential argument, better add it in the body.

Besides having a good structure, the best descriptive essay should be composed of strong and dynamic words. In this section, we will explain how to make your paper illustrative and memorable.

To make your writing descriptive , try the following:

  • Choose your POV.

Decide who is the narrator of your story and filter the vocabulary through the narrator’s perspective. For example, you are describing your memories of childhood. Thus, your character is a child. Think how the kid’s perception of the world differs from reality and try to convey the feelings using appropriate words. Note that you can still write in the third person.

  • Rely on precise words.

Avoid too abstract terms and general words. Instead, use dynamic vocabulary that precisely conveys your feelings. For example, you might write, “I felt bad.” Let’s make it more specific! How about writing, “I felt exhausted/ horrified/ anxious/ sick/ stressed, etc.”?

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

  • Use figures of speech.

Don’t forget about the wide variety of literary devices! Use comparisons, metaphors, onomatopoeia, or exaggeration. You might say, “my girlfriend has beautiful eyes.” But Shakspeare would say. “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” ( Sonnet, 130 ). Strive to be this creative!

  • Keep connotations and variations in mind.

Use the richness of the language to improve your creative writing skills. English is full of synonyms and various grammar structures. Take the maximum benefit from them. BUT! Avoid using the word if you are unsure about its meaning.

  • Compare and contrast.

Nothing can help to describe things better than comparison. So, deepen your sentences by examining the contrast and similarities between the objects or emotions.

  • Implement sensory details.

Do you remember the five basic human senses? They are sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Rather than just telling the story, try to appeal to the reader’s five senses. This trick will help you to make the audience more engaged in your narrative.

How to describe your experience.

When you reach the end, you haven’t finished. What you’ve done is to create the first version of your descriptive essay. Professional writers know how vital the first draft is because it isn’t possible to edit a blank page.

To revise and polish your text, follow these steps:

  • Check the structure. Your essay has to contain all the fundamental parts (introduction, main body, conclusion). Also, make sure that there are transitions between the key points and topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph.
  • Check the balance. All the essay parts should be approximate of the same significance. Keep in mind that each point should have the same number of details and arguments.
  • Make sure you explored all the points. Read your introduction, paying extra attention to the thesis statement. Then, look through the entire essay and check whether you discussed every aspect you introduced in the first paragraph.
  • Examine your information. Every piece of data and detail has to be valid. Make sure your arguments are logical, and your examples are appropriate. If something seems weak, rewrite it or consider cutting that part down.
  • Polish your conclusion. The last paragraph of your essay should correspond to the introduction. Moreover, it should summarize your points and make a final impression on the reader. Make your conclusion memorable and dynamic.

You may go through this revision and rewriting process several times. Or you may become so skilled at writing descriptive essays that you’re good to go after the first revision.

🖼️ Famous Descriptive Essay Examples

Now that we’ve discussed how to write a descriptive essay, we should tell you the last crucial tip. Your chances of composing a perfect paper are low when you don’t check the samples first.

Here, you can find specific descriptive essay examples in these guides:

  • Coral Reef Essay :

Do you admire wildlife? Are you fascinated by the divine beauty of the sea and ocean creatures? If you have a task to write about nature, or you can choose the topic yourself, think about composing a descriptive essay about coral reefs!

  • Harriet Tubman Essay :

Do you need to talk about an outstanding historical figure? Or you need to compose a descriptive essay about a person? Choose an American political activist Harriet Tubman. Her biography and achievements won’t leave you indifferent!

  • Americanism Essay :

Americanism is one of the most common paper topics for college students in the U.S. Has your instructor gave you the assignment to write about the USA identity? Compose a descriptive essay on Americanism!

  • Halloween Essay :

Everybody loves holidays! And the teachers like to give the tasks to write about them. If you are wondering what celebration to select, consider choosing Halloween. It offers a bunch of traditions to describe.

Descriptive Essay Topics

  • Description of punk culture .
  • The beauty of Dresden .
  • Give a description of Sweetbay Magnolia ornamental tree.
  • Memorable design of Apple Company’s logo .
  • Representation of emotions while viewing art or nature .
  • Describe the Paricutín volcano .
  • Give a description of Diana Krall’s concert at Jazz Festival in San Sebastián .
  • Compare the interior and exterior of the Palatine Chapel and St. Michael’s Chapel .
  • Discuss the design principles and visual elements of the Baptistery of San Giovanni’s south doors .
  • The unusual style of the Graduate House of the University of Toronto .
  • The description of the Jewish religious service.
  • The magnificence of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia .
  • The overview of my dream car .
  • Discuss the design of Britam Tower in Nairobi .
  • An exceptional scenery of the Lake Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Description and analysis of the film The Joker .
  • The day I was buying a laptop .
  • Give a description of main types of friendship .
  • Main holidays in Pakistan and how they are celebrated.
  • The historical atmosphere of Ellis Island .
  • The unique culture of Cook Island inhabitants.
  • Describe the impressions of the picture .
  • Describe traditions and culture of the Kootenai Indians .
  • What does my dream home look like?
  • Discuss the visual elements of Lady Sennuwy statue .
  • Balinese wedding ceremonies and traditions.
  • Recount your first day at college .
  • Describe and analyze Susan Anthony’s life and achievements .
  • The unique beauty of the Amazon rainforest .
  • The important elements of the Haitian flag .
  • Values and specifics of Brazilian culture .
  • The magnificence of Shark Valley .
  • Describe the activities and personality of Eleanor Roosevelt .
  • Describe the writing process .
  • The peculiarities of a tapa and it’s role in cultural ceremonies.
  • Give the description of the statue of Osiris-Antinous .
  • Discuss the Ways of Christmas Sweater Day celebration.
  • What impresses you the most in Cézanne’s art .
  • Description of Atlantis Paradise Island site .
  • Describe the peculiarities of your favorite music .
  • Analyze the characteristics of contemporary design in Evolution Queen Wall Bed .
  • Movements, symbolism, and transformation of the Chinese Dragon Dance and Lion Dance .
  • Describe the falling in love process.
  • Narrate about your first try to ride a bicycle .
  • Representation of the ancient Greek design: the marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis .
  • Discuss the thematic elements of Indian Fire God painting by Frederic Remington .
  • The personality and art of Tracey Emin .
  • Describe the history of PayPal company .
  • Describe the features and historical meaning of the Column of Trajan .
  • Overview of the painting Toy Pieta by Scott Avett.

In case these ideas aren’t for you, you can find more descriptive essay topics on our website.

Thanks for visiting our page! Share it with your friends and explore the other articles on our website. We have more useful information for you.

🔗 References

  • Descriptive Writing, Organization and Structure: Writing Center, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
  • Examples of How to Write a Good Descriptive Paragraph: Richard Nordquist, ThoughtCo
  • How Can I Write More Descriptively: Sweetland Center for Writing, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, the University of Michigan
  • Revising the Draft: Laura Saltz, the Writing Center at Harvard University
  • Descriptive Essays: Purdue Writing Lab, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University
  • Paragraph Development, Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Research Guides at the University of Southern California
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All I want to say you is thanks very much for your post! Here are lots of ideas for my essay on a shopping mall. If I have any difficulties with my paper, I will use your writing service.

Cool post with cool tips for writing opinion essays on a shopping mall! I’m so glad that I found this blog! Thanks for creating it!

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Memoir coach and author Marion Roach

Welcome to The Memoir Project, the portal to your writing life.

How to Write About Marriage? Learn How to Write the Personal Essay

descriptive essay on the man i wish to marry

I TEACH ONLINE MEMOIR CLASSES and work as a memoir coach and memoir editor, and in those roles I get a lot of requests for teaching how to write the personal essay. The essay is my favorite medium and most of the essays I have written and published take on simple, domestic issues stemming from marriage and family. The key to writing from home is to stay small. You are most likely to succeed in delivering a feeling to the reader if you attempt to do so without telling us what that feeling is. Navigating this space of showing, not telling, is critical to the success of a good, domestic essay.

What do I mean by that? Just this: Let the reader do some of the work. Let them do the math. Let them read it and gather together the details without you having to say something like: Hey, look at how someone loves me . Just show us. How? Here’s an example.

Read this essay and leave in the comments what you notice about what does and does not get said, and what you feel at the end.

I HAVE THREE FREEZERS. There, I admit it. I do. A born and raised New Yorker, maybe I have nothing more or less than a shtetl mentality, some genetic holdover from a time when there was never plenty. But probably not, since the closest I’ve come to Anatevka was fourth row center seats for “Fiddler on the Roof” when I was twelve.

And so it remains one of the greater mysteries of my marriage – to my husband, that is – that I buy chickens and freeze them, make stock and freeze it, make pesto and freeze it, and that every once in a while in the blur that I am as I whirl between the three freezers, I put something into one of them that, well, simply doesn’t belong.

It’s good he doesn’t take it personally, though that is probably because I have assured him that this started long before our marriage, and that I once located a sumptuous pair of alligator loafers in the fridge after thinking for months that I had lost them. They were in a brown paper bag, exactly the size of a pizza slice, so it seems obvious to me what my mind did when I got home from the shoe repair. Into the fridge, I thought, and that, as they say, was that. So glad was I when I found them that there were no recriminations. Plus, at the time I lived alone, so I had no one with whom the share the joy of finding them. Cold, though they were, I merely slipped them on and instantly regained my sense of balance.

These days, I have an audience, as well as several mouths to feed. Along with providing food for the adults in my home, I also cook for our dog. He has allergies. Seven years we’ve been at it. The cost of this is 14 sweet potatoes and 14 chicken thighs each week, and so an enormous canvas bag of sweet potatoes sits on top of the chest freezer in the garage (did I forget to mention that of the three freezers, one is the chest variety?) It’s the kind of bag that ship riggers use. Strong handled and sturdy, we need it for when the price is low – a recent 99 cents/pound, for instance – and we buy in bulk. It’s hard to lose.

Or so you might think.

Saturday was a cooking day for me, and so I am writing in real time here, reporting from the front. The last of the parsnips, all of the frozen vegetable scrapings, cilantro stems and other tidbits from the freezer went into the cauldron-sized stock pot. Back and forth from the freezers I went, finding tempting stashes of things to add.

“Oh look,” I said to the dog, “Chives!” The dog gave me the look he always gives me. It’s lovely to be adored no matter what you do.

My chives are now up in my kitchen garden, so clearly the frozen ones had to go into the soup. And in they went. And more things came to mind, and apparently I was wearing one of my many pair of glasses and carrying a mug of tea while I triangulated my way between my freezers. And then the washing machine sang its little song it sings when the load is done and the triangulation became a parallelogram and I added an upstairs trip.

The soup was creating that kind of happy haze it does when the aroma has taken over the house, and everything seemed right with the world. Out to the freezer I went again when I noticed the mega bag of potatoes was gone. Missing. Thinking it might help if I could see better, I patted myself down for my eyeglasses. Gone too. And what about that tea? Wasn’t I drinking something just moments ago?

Opening the stand freezer I was delighted to find the full bag of potatoes quietly cooling inside. Not that alarming, really. Many remarkable things have been unearthed there, including a portable phone and a book. It happens. And being a good wife, I called to my husband.

“Look, honey!” He came in from the kitchen, and that look on his face was the dividend check, the little extra I get from years of investing in this life.

The glasses? They were in the laundry hamper. Obviously. But it was my husband who found the tea mug, hours later, in that grand sweep I now realize he quietly does every day and last thing on most nights, simply putting everything back in its place so we can get on with our lives.

Tips for How to Write The Personal Essay:

Most of my essays come from domestic moments. Before I set out to write from my idea of home, I read extensively. Specifically, when learning how to write about marriage, domesticity or cooking, I can credit the great Laurie Colwin, Russell Baker and Nora Ephron for some great provocation. I read and I learned how to write the personal essay.

Have you seen my list of books to read to write memoir ? Have a look.

Want more? Join me in an upcoming online memoir class where tips like these are plentiful.

And if you have not done so already, listen in to QWERTY, my podcast by, for and about writers. 

Photo by Paul Gilmore on Unsplash

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Related posts:

  • How To Get A Personal Essay Published? Write it Like This
  • Marriage Memoir: Going to the Dogs
  • Marriage Memoir: The Questions One Should Never Ask

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Reader interactions.

Betsy Marro says

April 20, 2015 at 2:27 pm

Marion – I laughed out loud as I read this. In our house, we take turns finding what the other has lost as we wander through our home and our lives. I still recall the day that my cell phone rang just as I pulled into work. It was my love, speaking in that confused, amazed, indignant, frustrated tone that signals the loss of something crucial. In this case it was his glasses, his last pair. He couldn’t drive without them. He was late for work. He could no longer think clearly about where to look. “Would you like me to come home?” I asked. “Would you?” he said. And twenty minutes later there we were, retracing his steps. “Did you check the laundry closet?” I asked. “I wouldn’t have put them there!” he said. Which of course spoke volumes. I went in, opened the washing machine and there they were at the bottom of the drum, the lenses staring up at me. I didn’t crow or chortle or get too mad. By then I’d learned what we both know all too well, that it is only a matter of time before I’ve lost my keys, again, in my purse.

marion says

April 21, 2015 at 6:22 pm

Oh, that’s lovely, Betsy. Thank you for being in the club, and willingly admitting to it. Please come back soon for more. I sometimes forget what rich fodder is there is marriage. The everyday is the best place to go for material, isn’t it?

diane Cameron says

April 20, 2015 at 5:53 pm

Now I was waiting to hear that at least one of those freezers had a stock of Creme de la Mer–just in case, or your favorite red lipstick–also just in case. That I would understand, or for storing cashmere crew necks, which I understand store best in freezing cold storage. Chickens? Chives? Lordy–the things I learn about you.

Not even a small freezer bag of lipsticks?

April 21, 2015 at 6:21 pm

Small bag. The good stuff. The stuff I did not buy at the drugstore. How did you know?

Julia Pomeroy says

April 21, 2015 at 10:56 am

So funny, Marion, and so true. I love your home, your husband, your dog. Thank you for inviting me in.

April 21, 2015 at 6:20 pm

Thank you, Julia. I am delighted by the affection and friendship.

Jan Hogle says

April 21, 2015 at 12:16 pm

Damn… I’ve lost my expensive prescription glasses with the detachable sunglasses. Can you help me find them??

Great post!

April 21, 2015 at 6:19 pm

Found ’em. In the freezer.

Robin Botie says

April 21, 2015 at 6:11 pm

Oh THAT’s what husbands are for. Been so many years I forgot how great they can be around the house. I’ve been losing things left and right all this time. Cheers!

Ha ha ha. Yes, they can be great around the house. Thanks for coming by for a laugh.

Melinda says

April 22, 2015 at 11:11 am

I have a clear childhood memory of my mother standing in front of the freezer, dumbstruck, as she pulled out her purse. When I laughed she said, “I’m not worried about the purse. Now I just need to find the damn ice cream.”

Now that I am of that certain age, I completely understand.

April 22, 2015 at 12:18 pm

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Laughing so damn hard right now. What a kind gift this is you offer. Thank you. And what a fabulous thing for you to write about. Go on.

Sherrey Meyer says

April 25, 2015 at 2:34 pm

Marion, I’m guessing you can hear my laughing all the way from Portland, OR to the east coast! Such a funny story you’ve shared, and one which many of us can relate to in one way or another. I don’t have a chest freezer, and I only have one freezer other than the one with the fridge. But I do manage to lose things in that tall freezer residing in a garage that is really my husband’s workshop and not a garage at all. I’m wondering now if that’s where he’s lost all those books of blank checks he was looking for and perhaps it’s where I might find the springtime blouse I can’t find now that it’s spring. I’ll go look!

Kathleen Pooler says

May 6, 2015 at 10:52 am

Oh my gosh, Marion, you had me laughing out loud as I recalled my own stories of “losing “my eyeglasses which were sitting on my head or finding the box of Triscuits in the refrigerator and wondering who could have possibly done that?? I’m so happy I’m not alone in this. Thank you for sharing!

Amanda says

April 5, 2020 at 9:57 am

The cilantro stem, the dividend check (just beautiful – a ROI), something about the sturdy bag reminded me of my grandmother’s cool damp cellar. I had to read the essay twice to know why the last sentence struck me – the grand sweep, but it was your words “that I now realize” he does…I do the grand sweep of our night stands every morning. It is part of my morning rhythm after he leaves for work. And moreso, I pick up clues – an empty ice cream bowl tells me he stayed up later than me and will have a story to tell about an episode or a news piece, business cards tell me he’s mowing today, the gold PO Box key – he’ll be calling for it any minute. As I do the sweep each morning, I think of him and wonder if he knows how it happens. I suppose I’m waiting for that ROI!

Julia Grant says

April 5, 2020 at 10:14 am

It is lovely how you provided a portrait of a loving marriage through your articulation of your meanderings in the kitchen, the items you lose, and those that are found by your husband. Thank you for the lesson!

Wendy Komancheck says

April 5, 2020 at 1:46 pm

Hiya Marion: I’m glad I’m not the only one leaving things in odd places. Your husband should start a support group for men whose wives are forgetful! :) It’s the artist/creative inside us! My older son also has had to suffer with my absent-mindedness–but he thinks I lost my mind. I always reply, “I wasn’t always like this. It wasn’t until I had kids.) Said in jest, of course.:) Thank you for sharing!

Colleen Golafshan says

April 9, 2020 at 1:57 am

Oh, I relate to misplacing items – sometimes not finding them for years. This morning I happily found, from a pile I’d pulled out behind my desk, a hard copy of your recommended memoir books, which I wanted as I research my first memoir essay (after working on book-length projects). It’s about my years as a homeschooling stay-at-home mum, my failings and asking forgiveness of my two beautiful children, now rewarded with their amazing love in hard times.

Here’s what I heard in your essay: You’re a born and raised New Yorker, genetically but distantly Jewish. You love to keep food frozen and at the ready in your three freezers, which include a chest freezer on which you keep a canvas bag of sweet potatoes for the dog.

On Saturday, while whirling around creating a cauldron-sized soup–with parsnips, vegetable scraps, cilantro stems, chives and other tidbits–and carrying a mug of tea, you had to attend to your clothes washing.

Once the soup was on, creating a happy haze of aroma through the house, you noticed the sweet potatoes were missing, as well as the glasses you’d been wearing and your tea. You found the sweet potatoes in a standing freezer. Showing this to your husband, he rewarded you with a look, a paycheck for all the years you’ve invested in his life. The glasses turned up in the laundry hamper but your tea mug wasn’t found for hours, and then by your husband.

What you did not say in the essay: Apart from your preamble about the art of memoir which should show rather than say, Hey Look at how someone loves me, you don’t actually say your husband loves you or that you love him and the home you’ve created. But these facts well up through the peace you describe at home, despite the chaos sometimes caused by misplacing items. There you have an audience of an adoring dog and a husband who not only shares your joy of finding things in unusual places but who balances your tendency to leave such things out of place with his quiet nightly routine.

When you lived alone, it took longer to regain your sense of balance after misplacing your loafers than these days when your husband quietly ‘sweeps’ through the house at night to find misplaced items.

How I feel after this review is grateful for the peace you feel and share when New York is in chaos with so many affected by coronavirus. However, this was not a clear feeling on my first read.

As an Australian, I often feel at a loss to fully translate others’ communicated lifestyles into exactly what is meant, as I did when I first read this essay. Using maps and looking up word definitions helps (eg. shtelt). For example, I love listening to your inspiring podcasts, yet I often feel I lose a lot of rich context, especially when interviewed authors are from your area and you have shared history, far from my western Sydney townhouse. I’ve not been to New York, though I’ve stayed with friends and family living in Minnesota and California. These days I travel in books and online as I learn to live with low-grade lymphoma that limits even local travel.

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How to Decide Whether to Marry

Six tips with application to other humongous decisions..

Posted November 24, 2018

Nd3000/Shutterstock

Marriage is often wonderful. Many people swear by it.

It’s also bizarre. You’re electing to commit to lifelong devotion, to feeling like wanting to accommodate another person forever, no matter who they turn out to be over time.

Having children is elective too, though more like electing to enter an arranged marriage. You get the child that your genetics arrange for you.

In marriage, you’re volunteering to throw all in with someone of your choosing, which, when you stop to think about it, is rash. If instead you were committing to lifelong devotion to a spiritual leader , you’d be joining a cult.

Looks play a big part in many marriage decisions. Looks are a convincing, often life-altering optical illusion. Nothing appears more eternal than youthful hotness. Yet nothing is quite so perishable.

No wonder marriage is so heavily subsidized by hormones and culture, our bodies insisting on it, our culture extolling it. If it weren’t, we’d never make such a radical commitment. People don’t just marry drunk in Las Vegas. Many marriages are made under the intoxicating influence of hormonal conviction and subtle, yet wall-to-wall social pressure. Still, marriage can be a wonderful thing.

Dating in search of a lifelong partner is bound to make us ambivalent. We’re deciding to stop deciding about someone, in effect, to trust them forever. We’re pouring over details of another person to decide whether we can stop pouring over details and just love them.

Intoxicating hormones have to convince us to overlook lots, because we’d otherwise be too cautious. And by now, with less social pressure to marry, our cautiousness gets expressed. We size each other up warily, more in line with what you’d expect from such a humongous decision.

So how best to decide whether to marry in times like these? Here are some tips, with some application to any big decision.

1. It’s the matrimony, stupid.

Courtship wariness can breed meta-wariness, wariness about each other’s wariness. Either of you might begin to suspect the other of “ fear of intimacy ,” or of being ungenerous, paranoid, controlling, narcissistic , needy, greedy, expecting too much, moving too quickly, or moving too slowly, any of which may be true, but isn’t necessarily. All of those characteristics are perfectly natural for two people doing this dance on the courtship tightrope before deciding whether to fall toward or away from each other, committing to each other for life or breaking up.

If you both enter into the courtship knowing that you’re on the tightrope, you’re less likely to take the jitters and jerks of the dance as personally, mistaking each other’s caution or zeal for a character flaw. It’s not you or your partner, but the humongous commitment you're considering making that’s giving you the jitters.

2. Fighting is a red flag; not fighting is even more dangerous.

Kids bicker. It drives their parents crazy, but serves a purpose. They’re learning what works and doesn’t work in the give and take of life. Chalk it up to practice.

Courting couples have to learn how to fight too, learning how to minimize fighting in your give and take. You’re learning where to tuck in or jut out your elbows for the most efficient give and take. You’re also assessing whether you can tolerate the bickering that you probably won’t be able to eliminate. You’re stress -testing the relationship, which is much smarter done before than after taking your vows.

Again, if you both recognize that this is part of the courtship dance, you’re less likely to escalate into meta-fights — fights about the fact that you fight. As a result, you’re more likely to get a clear reading on what kinds of compromises you’ll have to make if you commit to marriage.

3. Throwing all in to see whether you want to throw all in.

Courtship in general, not just the bickering, is practice marriage, a tentative commitment which is a necessary, but complicating oxymoron. You’re both mustering your most enthusiastic effort to determine whether you want to muster you most enthusiastic effort ‘til death do you part. You don’t want to buy marriage until you’ve tried it, and you can’t try it ‘til you’ve acted as though you’ve already bought it. So you act like you’ve bought it and see how it goes. You pledge love to see whether you want to pledge love.

descriptive essay on the man i wish to marry

You have to. You’ve got to find out whether throwing all in compels your partner to reciprocate or get complacent. You give an inch, hoping to discover that your partner will give an inch rather than taking a mile. If your partner takes a mile, run a mile. Get out before it’s too late. But in the testing, test earnestly. Really show up to see whether you really want to show up forever.

4. In stress-testing the relationship, take pride in your strategic cleverness instead of taking self-protective umbrage.

Showing up is easier said than done, what with your understandable wariness about what you might be getting yourself into. It’s easy to feel compromised by partnership. Romance is the dream that you can just be yourself and loved unconditionally. Courtship starts with romance, but moves on to something less dreamy, more realistic. You can’t just be yourself. You have to tuck in your elbows to make room for each other. If you pretend that courtship is like any other no-big-deal decision, you’ll feel surprised, insulted, or threatened by the compromises — injured pride. That will throw off your assessment.

The alternative is to take quiet pride in your strategic cleverness. Pat yourself on the back for bending over backward for your partner. Pretty cunning. It’s you skillfully testing how your partner responds. If you decide that bending over that much is not worth it, at least you’ll have the consolation of thoroughness, which you wouldn’t get if hurt pride makes you stingy.

5. Leave morality out of it.

Though your culture might imply that marriage is an easy, obvious, natural virtue, it isn’t. These days, it’s an optional preference, a lifestyle choice, not a moral imperative. You don’t have to marry. If you choose that lifestyle, you’re under moral obligations within it. But you’re not under obligation to choose the lifestyle.

You are, however, under moral obligation to decide whether you want it. These days, the residues of our culture’s marriage imperative still have people feeling obligated to marry when their hearts aren’t really in it. Don’t be like that. Know your heart as best you can. To go through the motions of wanting to marry because you’re still under the influence of yesteryear’s moral mandate is like the closeted gay entering hetero relationships. It’s unkind to the person you’re courting.

Also, in the practice bickering, moral mandates get tossed around. If you’re unwilling to do something for your partner, he or she might imply that you’re ungenerous, selfish, greedy, or even narcissistic.

You might be, but courtship is a lousy test for whether you are. You’re testing your willingness to give everything to someone forever. If you’re unwilling, it doesn’t prove that you’ve got some fatal character flaw. Despite what you hear from exes, not every person who pulls out of partnership is a narcissist. Deciding you don’t want to give everything to someone forever might merely mean that you want to give elsewhere.

6. Rehearse a story that would rationalize each outcome.

As with any big decision, you’re going to feel a lot of subconscious tugs: “I can’t choose that. How would I ever justify that decision?” For example, “I can’t pull out of this courtship. It would prove that I’m ungenerous.” Or, “I can’t marry. How would I ever explain dropping my pledge to protect my independence?”

To neutralize those subconscious tugs, treat those questions as real, not rhetorical. For each possible choice, rehearse something you could say to justify it to you, some answer to some friend’s “What happened there?”

It doesn’t have to convince your friend, who is likely to support and humor you whatever you decide, but something that would be convincing enough to you. Armed with an armful of self-justifications, one for each choice you might make, you can make the decision without subconscious tugs biasing your decision.

Jeremy E. Sherman Ph.D., MPP

Jeremy Sherman, Ph.D., MPP, has a wide research agenda — psychology from cradle to grave, life’s origins to our grave situation, grounded in a 25-year close collaboration with Berkeley neuroscientist, biological anthropologist Terrence Deacon.

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English Compositions

Short Essay on My Greatest Wish [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

We all possess some kinds of wishes in our lives. No matter all of them become reality or not, we love to fantasise about our wishes. In this session today, I am going to show you how exactly you can write essays on the topic: ‘My Greatest Wish.’

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Short Essay on My Greatest Wish in 100 Words

Wish is something that helps us to live every day. If we do not wish, then we will soon lose all hope in our life. We will not be able to progress if we leave our hopes and wishes. So like everyone, I too love to wish. I too want my dreams to come true. And my greatest wish is to be a professor.

It is a wish from my childhood. I am studying hard so that my dreams can come true. I can do anything for this wish to succeed. It will make my parents happy. I can teach many students. So I can do anything for my greatest wish.

Short Essay on My Greatest Wish in 200 Words

What helps to live every day? What makes us happy when we feel sad? The answer is our dreams and wishes. Every day we go through a lot of pain and problems. But in the end, we believe that everything will be alright. This is possible because we can dream.

Every man has their own wishes. It is very personal to them, and they try to fulfil it soon. It is their wishes and dreams that help them to live. People work hard daily because they have wishes to work upon.

I too have my own dream. My greatest wish is to become a university professor. This wish is helping me every day to live. When I think of my wish, I feel the happiest. I feel very motivated to work hard daily. Being a professor is a tough job. It needs lots of studies.

One has to study a lot every day so that he can become a professor. They have to give examinations to get the job. The examination to become a professor is really tough. But I still want to pass these hurdles. I want to be successful in my life and make my parents proud and happy. So I am regularly working on my greatest wish.

Short Essay on My Greatest Wish in 400 Words

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has once said that dreams are not something we see in our dreams, but dreams are something that does not let us sleep. It is very true to us. Wish is the biggest treasure of human life. It is our wishes that help us to develop every day. As we dream, we always think of our future. It is not for fun, but it also helps to plan.

Whenever we wish, it is not just anything small. But these are thoughts for the future. Wishing helps us to build ourselves better. It is part of planning our lives. It helps us to succeed and have happiness. Wishes encourage us to work hard and get good results.

Like everyone, I too have my own wish. I dream of being a university professor. It is very personal to me that I fulfil my wish. Becoming a professor is the greatest wish of my life. It is this wish that is letting me work harder than ever. Whenever I feel tired and do not want to work, my wish tells me to study again. My wish is the biggest source of my happiness.

I am constantly working over my plans. It is very important to get my dreams fulfilled. Because it will make my parents proud of me. I will be happiest to work as a professor. I will earn and become independent. So my wish is not just to teach students, but it also has many other dreams. My greatest wish will fulfil my other wishes as well.

Being a professor is a really tough job. I have to study a lot. I cannot ignore his studies. Then the wish to be a professor will never be fulfilled. I am a part of this. I am working hard daily so that my greatest wish is fulfilled. I have to sit for examinations. Those examinations are difficult and the syllabus is huge. Also, lots of questions will be asked. For that good preparation is needed. But I am not scared of this. I am confident that my greatest wish will be fulfiled soon. Also after becoming a professor, I want to teach students.

There are many children who do not get an education because they are poor. I want to support them. I want to teach these poor children for free so that they can have a happy life. My wish will fulfil the dreams of many others. Also, I love to read books. It is my biggest hobby. After becoming a professor, I will read more and learn more. So for my greatest wish, I will do everything.

In this lesson today, I have discussed the entire context in a very simple language, with an easy approach that all kinds of students understand very easily.

If you still have any doubts regarding this session, kindly let me know in the comment section below. Moreover, if you want me to cover any specific topic for you, kindly mention that too. Many such important sessions are available on our website. You can keep browsing to read those as well.

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FREE ESSAY ON THE KIND OF MAN I WANT TO MARRY WHEN IT IS TIME.

To begin, I value compatibility highly when considering the type of man I could one day marry. I’m looking for a partner that is committed to the same things in life as I am. Someone who is sympathetic to my plight, forgiving of my faults, and encouraging of my goals.

I’m drawn to males that exude confidence without coming across as arrogant. Someone confident in themselves and their goals in life, yet not arrogant or closed off to other people’s perspectives. My ideal companion would be bright, inquisitive, and humorous.

It doesn’t matter to me how someone looks on the outside. What matters most to me is how I feel when I’m with that person, and I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder. On the other hand, I respect and admire those that prioritize their health and physical well-being.

To sum up my ideal lifestyle partner, they would be hardworking and goal-oriented, but still know how to relax and have fun. Someone who isn’t afraid to try new things and isn’t afraid to stay in on a Friday night. I’m looking for someone that places a high importance on family and friends as a priority in their own life.

To sum up, the ideal man for me to marry is someone who is not just my soulmate but also my best friend and my partner in crime. Someone I can put my faith in, depend on, and spend my golden years with. When the moment is perfect, I hope to meet the one who will complete me and help me become the best version of myself.

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That Viral Essay Wasn’t About Age Gaps. It Was About Marrying Rich.

But both tactics are flawed if you want to have any hope of becoming yourself..

Women are wisest, a viral essay in New York magazine’s the Cut argues , to maximize their most valuable cultural assets— youth and beauty—and marry older men when they’re still very young. Doing so, 27-year-old writer Grazie Sophia Christie writes, opens up a life of ease, and gets women off of a male-defined timeline that has our professional and reproductive lives crashing irreconcilably into each other. Sure, she says, there are concessions, like one’s freedom and entire independent identity. But those are small gives in comparison to a life in which a person has no adult responsibilities, including the responsibility to become oneself.

This is all framed as rational, perhaps even feminist advice, a way for women to quit playing by men’s rules and to reject exploitative capitalist demands—a choice the writer argues is the most obviously intelligent one. That other Harvard undergraduates did not busy themselves trying to attract wealthy or soon-to-be-wealthy men seems to flummox her (taking her “high breasts, most of my eggs, plausible deniability when it came to purity, a flush ponytail, a pep in my step that had yet to run out” to the Harvard Business School library, “I could not understand why my female classmates did not join me, given their intelligence”). But it’s nothing more than a recycling of some of the oldest advice around: For women to mold themselves around more-powerful men, to never grow into independent adults, and to find happiness in a state of perpetual pre-adolescence, submission, and dependence. These are odd choices for an aspiring writer (one wonders what, exactly, a girl who never wants to grow up and has no idea who she is beyond what a man has made her into could possibly have to write about). And it’s bad advice for most human beings, at least if what most human beings seek are meaningful and happy lives.

But this is not an essay about the benefits of younger women marrying older men. It is an essay about the benefits of younger women marrying rich men. Most of the purported upsides—a paid-for apartment, paid-for vacations, lives split between Miami and London—are less about her husband’s age than his wealth. Every 20-year-old in the country could decide to marry a thirtysomething and she wouldn’t suddenly be gifted an eternal vacation.

Which is part of what makes the framing of this as an age-gap essay both strange and revealing. The benefits the writer derives from her relationship come from her partner’s money. But the things she gives up are the result of both their profound financial inequality and her relative youth. Compared to her and her peers, she writes, her husband “struck me instead as so finished, formed.” By contrast, “At 20, I had felt daunted by the project of becoming my ideal self.” The idea of having to take responsibility for her own life was profoundly unappealing, as “adulthood seemed a series of exhausting obligations.” Tying herself to an older man gave her an out, a way to skip the work of becoming an adult by allowing a father-husband to mold her to his desires. “My husband isn’t my partner,” she writes. “He’s my mentor, my lover, and, only in certain contexts, my friend. I’ll never forget it, how he showed me around our first place like he was introducing me to myself: This is the wine you’ll drink, where you’ll keep your clothes, we vacation here, this is the other language we’ll speak, you’ll learn it, and I did.”

These, by the way, are the things she says are benefits of marrying older.

The downsides are many, including a basic inability to express a full range of human emotion (“I live in an apartment whose rent he pays and that constrains the freedom with which I can ever be angry with him”) and an understanding that she owes back, in some other form, what he materially provides (the most revealing line in the essay may be when she claims that “when someone says they feel unappreciated, what they really mean is you’re in debt to them”). It is clear that part of what she has paid in exchange for a paid-for life is a total lack of any sense of self, and a tacit agreement not to pursue one. “If he ever betrayed me and I had to move on, I would survive,” she writes, “but would find in my humor, preferences, the way I make coffee or the bed nothing that he did not teach, change, mold, recompose, stamp with his initials.”

Reading Christie’s essay, I thought of another one: Joan Didion’s on self-respect , in which Didion argues that “character—the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life—is the source from which self-respect springs.” If we lack self-respect, “we are peculiarly in thrall to everyone we see, curiously determined to live out—since our self-image is untenable—their false notions of us.” Self-respect may not make life effortless and easy. But it means that whenever “we eventually lie down alone in that notoriously un- comfortable bed, the one we make ourselves,” at least we can fall asleep.

It can feel catty to publicly criticize another woman’s romantic choices, and doing so inevitably opens one up to accusations of jealousy or pettiness. But the stories we tell about marriage, love, partnership, and gender matter, especially when they’re told in major culture-shaping magazines. And it’s equally as condescending to say that women’s choices are off-limits for critique, especially when those choices are shared as universal advice, and especially when they neatly dovetail with resurgent conservative efforts to make women’s lives smaller and less independent. “Marry rich” is, as labor economist Kathryn Anne Edwards put it in Bloomberg, essentially the Republican plan for mothers. The model of marriage as a hierarchy with a breadwinning man on top and a younger, dependent, submissive woman meeting his needs and those of their children is not exactly a fresh or groundbreaking ideal. It’s a model that kept women trapped and miserable for centuries.

It’s also one that profoundly stunted women’s intellectual and personal growth. In her essay for the Cut, Christie seems to believe that a life of ease will abet a life freed up for creative endeavors, and happiness. But there’s little evidence that having material abundance and little adversity actually makes people happy, let alone more creatively generativ e . Having one’s basic material needs met does seem to be a prerequisite for happiness. But a meaningful life requires some sense of self, an ability to look outward rather than inward, and the intellectual and experiential layers that come with facing hardship and surmounting it.

A good and happy life is not a life in which all is easy. A good and happy life (and here I am borrowing from centuries of philosophers and scholars) is one characterized by the pursuit of meaning and knowledge, by deep connections with and service to other people (and not just to your husband and children), and by the kind of rich self-knowledge and satisfaction that comes from owning one’s choices, taking responsibility for one’s life, and doing the difficult and endless work of growing into a fully-formed person—and then evolving again. Handing everything about one’s life over to an authority figure, from the big decisions to the minute details, may seem like a path to ease for those who cannot stomach the obligations and opportunities of their own freedom. It’s really an intellectual and emotional dead end.

And what kind of man seeks out a marriage like this, in which his only job is to provide, but very much is owed? What kind of man desires, as the writer cast herself, a raw lump of clay to be molded to simply fill in whatever cracks in his life needed filling? And if the transaction is money and guidance in exchange for youth, beauty, and pliability, what happens when the young, beautiful, and pliable party inevitably ages and perhaps feels her backbone begin to harden? What happens if she has children?

The thing about using youth and beauty as a currency is that those assets depreciate pretty rapidly. There is a nearly endless supply of young and beautiful women, with more added each year. There are smaller numbers of wealthy older men, and the pool winnows down even further if one presumes, as Christie does, that many of these men want to date and marry compliant twentysomethings. If youth and beauty are what you’re exchanging for a man’s resources, you’d better make sure there’s something else there—like the basic ability to provide for yourself, or at the very least a sense of self—to back that exchange up.

It is hard to be an adult woman; it’s hard to be an adult, period. And many women in our era of unfinished feminism no doubt find plenty to envy about a life in which they don’t have to work tirelessly to barely make ends meet, don’t have to manage the needs of both children and man-children, could simply be taken care of for once. This may also explain some of the social media fascination with Trad Wives and stay-at-home girlfriends (some of that fascination is also, I suspect, simply a sexual submission fetish , but that’s another column). Fantasies of leisure reflect a real need for it, and American women would be far better off—happier, freer—if time and resources were not so often so constrained, and doled out so inequitably.

But the way out is not actually found in submission, and certainly not in electing to be carried by a man who could choose to drop you at any time. That’s not a life of ease. It’s a life of perpetual insecurity, knowing your spouse believes your value is decreasing by the day while his—an actual dollar figure—rises. A life in which one simply allows another adult to do all the deciding for them is a stunted life, one of profound smallness—even if the vacations are nice.

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COMMENTS

  1. Angela Manalang Gloria's "To the Man I Married"

    Introduction and Text of Gloria's "To the Man I Married" In the first section of Angela Manalang Gloria's "To the Man I Married," the poet has crafted the verse in the traditional form of an English (also called Shakespearean or Elizabethan) sonnet. Thematically, the poet creates a speaker who is expressing her deep feelings for her husband.

  2. To the Man I Married by Angela Manalang-Gloria

    To the Man I Married. Angela Manalang-Gloria. I. You are my earth and all the earth implies: The gravity that ballasts me in space, The air I breathe, the land that stills my cries. For food and shelter against devouring days. You are the earth whose orbit marks my way. And sets my north and south, my east and west,

  3. How to Write a Descriptive Essay

    Tips for writing descriptively. The key to writing an effective descriptive essay is to find ways of bringing your subject to life for the reader. You're not limited to providing a literal description as you would be in more formal essay types. Make use of figurative language, sensory details, and strong word choices to create a memorable ...

  4. What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

    A descriptive essay's primary goal is to captivate the reader by writing a thorough and vivid explanation of the subject matter, while appealing to their various senses. A list of additional goals is as follows: - Spark feeling and imagination. - Create a vivid experience. - Paint a mental picture. - Pique curiosity.

  5. Analysis of To the Man I Married by Angela Manalang-Gloria

    The gravity that ballasts me in space, The air I breathe, the land that stills my cries. For food and shelter against devouring days. You are the earth whose orbit marks my way. And sets my north and south, my east and west, You are the final, elemented clay. The driven heart must turn to for its rest. If in your arms that hold me now so near.

  6. How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph About a Person (With ...

    1. Brainstorm Your Ideas. Brainstorming is crucial to any writing process. It's the process in which you think of ideas for what you'd like to write about. In this case, you're writing a descriptive paragraph about a person. It's important to use adjectives to describe the features or characteristics you want to focus on.

  7. How to Write a Descriptive Essay: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

    Ask them if they think the essay is descriptive and full of sensory detail. Have them tell you if they got a clear picture of the subject by the end of the essay. Be open to constructive criticism and feedback from others. This will only make your essay stronger. 3. Revise the essay for clarity and length.

  8. Descriptive Essay

    Descriptive essay example about a Place. "Even though monarchy is long gone, Buckingham Palace is here to remind us of the aesthetic beauty of that era.". Descriptive essay example about a Person. "One of the characteristics of Spider-Man is his youthfulness, and the fact that he talks to himself more than Hamlet.".

  9. Descriptive Essays

    The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student's ability to create a written account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the goal of which is to ...

  10. How to Write a Descriptive Essay in 7 Steps

    3. Make an outline. Your descriptive writing must be organized. Group your main points into individual body paragraphs, each of which should be a subcategory of your essay's main topic. 4. Write the introductory paragraph. A good introductory paragraph can be a road map for your entire essay.

  11. How to Choose the Right Man to Marry: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

    Download Article. 1. Ask yourself what you want. Think about what qualities you want in a man. Ask yourself what you admire in a man and how you want to enjoy the time you spend together. You might want to write a list of the things you desire and the things you aren't willing to budge on, like kids or religion.

  12. 75 Marriage Proposal Messages For Him & For Her

    Marriage Proposal Messages For Him. — Man of my dreams, how my heart schemes to get you married to me. Say you will. — Whenever I look into your eyes, whenever I hear you speak my name, whenever I hear your heart beating next to mine, I see my future. Please say you'll be my husband. — The light in all the stars can't compare to the ...

  13. The kind of man you should marry: 10 Qualities

    4. He's loyal. Your future husband should be loyal and 400% committed to you. He should have eyes only for you. You never have to worry about him being unfaithful, because he's all yours. 5. He's a good listener. The man you marry should listen to you, and I mean really listen. He should pay attention to what you say.

  14. Best Descriptive Essays: Examples & How-to Guide [+ Tips]

    It's time to make clear what we mean by a descriptive essay. For example, let's suppose we were asked to write about a sports stadium. Here are two introductions we might come up with: Example: Example 1: A stadium is a place where sports, concerts, or other events take place.

  15. How to write about marriage? Learn how to write the personal essay

    The essay is my favorite medium and most of the essays I have written and published take on simple, domestic issues stemming from marriage and family. The key to writing from home is to stay small. You are most likely to succeed in delivering a feeling to the reader if you attempt to do so without telling us what that feeling is.

  16. Person I Want to Marry with

    Person I Want to Marry with. Decent Essays. 896 Words. 4 Pages. Open Document. During the 80's and 90's, many people marry at their early age as early as fifteen. As time passes, this trend was no longer practiced as people believe that more than halves who marry at their early age will be divorced when they reached their middle age.

  17. Person I Want to Marry with

    Person I Want to Marry with. During the 80's and 90's, many people marry at their early age as early as fifteen. As time passes, this trend was no longer practiced as people believe that more than halves who marry at their early age will be divorced when they reached their middle age. However, in today's era, the practices of youthful ...

  18. My Future Husband Essay

    A letter to my future husband or life time partner. At one point I will love to get marry and spend my life with you. Although I will want to get get marry with you someday, I do not want to just get marry just because we have been together for a while or we are just simply settling down. I want my future husband to marry me because they see me ...

  19. How to Decide Whether to Marry

    4. In stress-testing the relationship, take pride in your strategic cleverness instead of taking self-protective umbrage. Showing up is easier said than done, what with your understandable ...

  20. My Ideal Wife, A Descriptive Essay Example

    First of all, my future wife should be my best friend. I want to share all my troubles, sorrows and dreams with her. She would never let me down and I could always rely on her. Secondly, I want my wife to be my partner. Everything would be common for us: our children, our house, our money, and duties.

  21. Short Essay on My Greatest Wish [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

    Short Essay on My Greatest Wish in 400 Words. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has once said that dreams are not something we see in our dreams, but dreams are something that does not let us sleep. It is very true to us. Wish is the biggest treasure of human life. It is our wishes that help us to develop every day. As we dream, we always think of our future.

  22. Free Essay on The Kind of Man I Want to Marry When It Is Time

    To sum up, the ideal man for me to marry is someone who is not just my soulmate but also my best friend and my partner in crime. Someone I can put my faith in, depend on, and spend my golden years with. When the moment is perfect, I hope to meet the one who will complete me and help me become the best version of myself.

  23. The Cut's viral essay on having an age gap is really about marrying

    Women are wisest, a viral essay in New York magazine's the Cut argues, to maximize their most valuable cultural assets— youth and beauty—and marry older men when they're still very young ...