Sense impressions allow the writer to create a mental picture for the reader so that the reader is able to visualize the same image the writer has envisioned. The effective use of sense impressions will allow the reader to experience the writer’s words, rather than merely reading them. To truly understand the impression the writer intends to convey, a description should appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.

Example: A wild strawberry

Description: Each wild strawberry as it touched my lips was a drop of nectar and a crumb of ambrosia, a concentrated essence of all the pungent sweetness of the wildwood, sapid, penetrating, and delicious.

Vivid Language

Vivid language allows the writer to enhance the reader’s perception of the person, object, event or action being described. The image it creates for the reader can accurately describe what the writer sees and how the writer sees it--vivid language can paint a picture. The use of vivid language need not entail lengthy descriptions--a few well-chosen words should suffice. The use of a thesaurus can be of great assistance when writing description.

Description: Feathery clouds scudded across the pale blue sky.

Figurative language allows the writer to quickly and effectively create a picture for the reader. It involves the use of something familiar as a basis for something that is unfamiliar. The most common types are simile, metaphor and personification.

Simile: a comparison using like, as, or than as a connective device..

    Example: He talks like a dictionary on its best behaviour.

Metaphor: a direct or implied comparison between two dissimilar things that have one point in common—as or like are not used.

    Example: She could feel the pain beating its wings against her ribs.

Personification: giving human characteristics to nonhuman things or to abstractions.

    Example: The wind shrieked with fury and rained blows on the house.

Other types of figurative language (or figures of speech) include the following:

Allusion: metaphor making direct comparison to a historical or literary event or character, a myth, a biblical reference, etc.

    Example: He is a Sampson of strength but a Thomas of faith.

    Example: He shot the puck so hard it caught the goalie’s mitt on fire.

Oxymoron: a short paradox, usually consisting of an adjective and noun with conflicting meanings.

    Example: The touch of her lips was sweet agony.

Onomatopoeic words allow the reader to hear what the writer hears. These words allow the writer to give the reader a clearer impression of the sound being described. Some examples of onomatopoeic words are buzz, roar, howl, splash, cackle, whistle, whiz, rumble, clatter, clash, hiss, murmur, clang, plunge, bubble, tap, grate, bang, gurgle.

These can be of great help in conveying an exact sound.

Example: The child stood crying as cars passed blowing their horns.

Description: The terrified child wailed as traffic whizzed by, oblivious to the honking horns.