Table of Contents
Introduction
As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. No matter how great this quote is, it is incomplete. If the wayfarer wants to reach the destination, the steps should be in the right direction and in the right sequence.
Writing is a journey in itself, whether you write an essay, a poem, or a thousand-page epic. The writer goes through both internal and external pains and gains and loses a lot in the pursuit of literary and artistic ends. Many times, the simple idea of picking the right topic, combined with proportionate research and outline, can do wonders.
That’s why we have come up with this blog post where we have compiled over a hundred descriptive essay topics so you can either choose one and move on, or play around to come up with an excellent title.
What Is Descriptive Essay Writing?
Descriptive essay writing, as the name suggests, is about describing a person, a thing, a place, an event, or an experience under consideration. Writers rely on the artistic arsenal in the form of literary language as well as figurative phrases and sensory details to sketch a true-to-life image.
In schools and colleges, descriptive essay writing helps students learn how to come up with ideas and then retain them and work on them to create potent pieces of writing. Often, they are provided with a topic or a title, after which the work is almost straightforward. They need to turn it into a question or a problem and then present the answer or the solution through the text of the essay.
Despite its extremely subjective nature, a descriptive essay follows a standard structure of five paragraphs, where two are allocated for the introduction and conclusion, whereas the rest of the three are assigned to the main body.
Tips For Choosing The Best Topic
Many students start off writing a descriptive essay without recognizing the real question. Every assignment has questions in it. Some are obvious while others need to be dug out and spelled out by the writer before he can attempt to answer them. So, the first and foremost step in choosing the topic for a descriptive essay is to know the assignment and check whether you are up for the challenge or not. Doing this, in the beginning, can help writers to save a lot of time and frustration.
After understanding the assignment, it is necessary to determine the length, width, and depth of the essay. Some essays are meant to just scratch the surface and connect the narrative. On the other hand, some topics are meant to be probed and dissected from every angle so that readers can connect with them in a much better and deeper way. You do not want to submit a half-baked idea, superficially researched to annoy your instructors. The other side of the spectrum is not a good idea either.
This may seem like a no-brainer but it must be exerted here because many times, students fall into the trap of choosing what others think they should do. This also comes from the idea that the picture of success for one person is universal, leading to peer pressure. In the same way, it is necessary to take into account the level of complexity and analysis that goes into writing on that specific topic. In the end, it all depends on the topic of your choice and the level of research.
Best Descriptive Essay Topics For Students
In this section, we have listed some of the best descriptive essay topics for school and college students. Again, it is not necessary to take those at their face value. They should play with the premise and try to create topics and titles on their own. It can take some time but it will allow them to mold the narrative accordingly.
Narrative Descriptive Essay Topics
- An astronaut looking at the earth and the sky
- The neighborhood I loved as a child
- My first ride on a subway train
- Watching the sunrise from the top of a mountain
- Discovering the secrets of nature in the middle of nowhere
- The discovery of the atom and the future of mankind
- Describing a live true piece of art
- The happiest moment in life because of another person
- Visiting Iceland and finding a new world without leaving another
- Imagining the first house on the moon
- The most exciting cruise across the seas
- Enjoying the most serene view in the world with love
Descriptive Essay Topics About A Person
- Watching the tallest person in a park
- The most beautiful pair of eyes on a person
- The way my best friend laughs when he is nervous
- The dressing sense of my boss
- Meeting a stranger in the crowd
- Becoming a stranger with a friend in a crowd
- Acknowledging my opponent in a baseball game
- The legendary commander of Rome – Julius Caesar
- Napoleon Bonaparte – A once-in-a-lifetime personality
- The famous author and adventurer – Ernest Hemingway
- Talking with a newborn in a hospital
- Asking my grandpa questions about life
Descriptive Essay Topics About A Place
- Visiting the great wall of China and connecting with people
- Visiting the Taj Mahal and revisiting the history with the wonder of the world
- What it means to have a fantasy vacation spot
- Building the place of my dreams on earth
- Seeing the magic of history in a museum
- An old abandoned school building across a beach
- Why supermarket stores are the death of freedom
- Visiting my neighbor’s house for the first time
- Going to the principal’s office as a culprit
- Visiting the principal’s office as a hero of the school
- Why Mount Everest does not seem as higher as people think it is
- The garden I decorated as a kid for a birthday party
Descriptive Essay Topics About An Object/ Thing
- Describing my lucky charm to a rational person
- My favorite outfit for the high school prom
- My first car as a high school kid
- Discovering an ancient relic in the basement
- My first gift toy as a kid
- The piece of furniture that was my mother’s life
- Receiving my first mobile phone as a gift
- Watching northern lights and wishing to be there forever
- Customizing Halloween costume for the first time
- Playing with traffic signals across the city
- Toying with a toy in front of a bully
- Connecting dots to earn my first treasure hunt
Descriptive Essay Topics About Memories & Emotions
- Experiencing tears of joy for the first time in my life
- When I fell in love with the wrong girl
- The most embarrassing moment in the school’s hallway
- The happiest moment of summer vacations
- The best trip across the alps with love
- Special bonding time with my family during a blackout
- Feeling scared for life in a road accident
- Having a close shave with death in the afternoon
- Meeting my friend’s mother for the first time
- Meeting my best friend from my childhood after a decade
- The first bicycle ride and fall
- Competing in sports for the first time
Descriptive Essay Topics About Experiences
- A paranormal activity around the house
- Driving the sports car for the first time
- Scuba diving for the first time in an archipelago
- First time watching opera in a theater
- Watching broadway with love
- Cooking food at the top of a mountain
- Confessing to a priest for the first time
- Visiting the Vatican and feeling religious
- How it feels to be a Hollywood star
- Spending three weeks in an army boot camp
- Thinking like an air force pilot
- Being with a superstitious friend in a spooky house
F.A.Q
What are the things to consider while choosing a descriptive essay topic?
Here are the most important things that writers should consider before choosing a descriptive essay topic:
- Knowing the assignment
- Determining the level and scope
- Understanding interest and complexity
How do I start a descriptive essay to make readers care?
To make readers invested in the story, writers start with hooks. This could be a direct question asked to the readers, a statistic to bridge the opening lines with the topic, or a bold statement to throw the readers off-guard. In addition to this, you can also share a striking aspect of the setting or characters to build tension from the beginning.
How can I define my topic before writing about it?
Defining the topic before writing on it can be a great way to channel necessary resources for optimized working. To do this, you need to understand the scope and reach of research and analysis, as well as the essential format to put all the information cohesively. Otherwise, it can be a trial and error with room for error whether the essay was a hit or a complete miss.
What makes a good topic for a descriptive essay?
Since a descriptive essay is about describing a person, a thing, or a place, it is necessary to pick a topic and form a title that can do justice to it. The topic should be interesting and has reasonable room for discussion and speculation. In addition to this, the topic should be open for peers to pick on.
What is the single cardinal rule to choose a topic?
If you narrow down all the professional tips to choose a topic for a descriptive essay, they can all boil down to a single rule: always go for a topic that can pique the interest of readers across the spectrum.
Can I write a descriptive essay without choosing a topic?
If you mean a “title” by a topic, then you can write a descriptive essay. Contrary to this, it is impossible to formulate a cohesive body of literature that can withstand the test of time. It will have multiple focal points which can throw the whole narrative off the course.
Conclusions
Picking the most suitable topic is one of the most crucial things that a writer should do before going out to write a whole essay. Many times, topics are given by the instructors. Other times, students need to come up with a topic and a title of their own and work from there. We have highlighted some of the best and most riveting topics for descriptive essays. They range from personal narratives to essays about painting a place or an event to showcasing the traits of a person. Either way, the structure remains the same but the focus shifts from one subject to another.
In addition to this, we have mentioned some tips that can help writers pick the best topic from the lot or experiment with them to formulate a new one.
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