DESCRIBING PEOPLE

Descriptive Essay: Describing people.

The purpose of writing a descriptive essay is to describe something such as a person, object,
place, or situation. Descriptive speech or essays give readers a clear picture of the essay subject.
The writer should make use of vivid language to help the reader understand what the essay is all
about.

This essay encourages the student’s ability to create an image by appealing to the senses of the
reader. The five human senses include hearing, touch, taste, sight, and smell. In a descriptive
essay, your goal is to make the reader feel like they’re experiencing the subject you’re describing
first-hand.

1. sense of hearing. This is the way things sound.

2. sense of touch. This is what you can feel, and includes textures and the many sensations a
human being experiences when touching something. Differences in temperature is also a
part of tactile imagery.
the feeling of movement. This can be similar to tactile imagery but deals more with full-
body sensations, such as those experienced during exercise. Rushing water, flapping
wings, and pounding hearts are all examples of kinesthetic imagery.
3. sense of taste. This is what you can taste, and includes flavours. This can include the five
basic tastes—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami—as well as the textures and sensations
tied to the act of eating.

4. sense of sight. This is what you can see, and includes visual descriptions. Physical
attributes including colour, size, shape, lightness and darkness, shadows, and shade are all
part of visual imagery.

5. sense of smell. Scent is one of the most direct triggers of memory and emotion, but can be
difficult to write about. Since taste and smell are so closely linked, you’ll sometimes find
the same words (such as “sweet”) used to describe both. Simile is common in olfactory
imagery, because it allows writers to compare a particular scent to common smells like
dirt, grass, manure, or roses.
 HAIR COLOUR

1. He has wavy, chestnut-brown hair.

2. He has mussed, Nordic-gold hair.
3. He has twirling, Aryan-black hair.
4. He has a swirling, lion’s mane of golden hair.
5. He has whisked, Apollo-gold hair that danced in the wind.

SHORT HAIRCUT
a crew cut a Mohican a marine a razor’s- a bald pate
hair cut haircut edge cur
close a rooster cut a military a buzz-cut a chrome
cropped hair hair cut dome

1. He has a crew cut and darting eyes.

2. He has a rooster cut and piercing eyes.
3. He has a marine cut and penetrating eyes.
4. He has buzz-cut and gimlet eyes.
5. He has a chrome dome and far-seeing eyes.

EYEBROWS
bushy sickle shaped crescent-of- beetle- fire
eyebrows moon shape browed worshipper-
black
bristly scythe equinox- hirsute Hases-black
eyebrows shaped black eyebrows
eyebrows eyebrows

1. He has bushy eyebrows and a pleasing face.

2. He has sickle shaped eyebrows and a shapely face.
3. He has equinox-black eyebrows and a seemly face.
4. He has hirsute, bible-black eyebrows on an artist’s face.
5. He has Hases-black eyebrows affixed to an aesthetic face.

NOSE
a falcon’s a Roman a patrician a raptor’s a lordly nose
nose nose nose nose
a hawkish an imperial an imperious an aquiline a kingly nose
nose nose nose nose

1. He has a falcon’s nose and merry eyes.

2. He has an imperial nose and joyful eyes.
3. He has a patrician nose and mirthful eyes.
4. He has a raptor’s nose and dancing eyes.
5. He has a lordly nose and come-hither eyes.

CHEEKBONES
domed half-dome arched pinched-in concave
cheekbones cheekbones cheekbones cheekbones cheekbones
defined half-moon angular prominent mountain
cheekbones cheekbones cheekbones cheekbones peak
cheekbones

1. He has domed cheekbones on tight skin.

2. He has half-moon cheekbones on tense skin.
3. He has arched cheekbones on taut skin.
4. His pinched-in cheekbones rested on skin that is stretched tight by exercise.
5. His concave cheekbones rested on skin pulled tight like a bolt of fine cloth.

JAW
a concrete a craggy jaw a flinty jaw a granite jaw an
jaw adamantine
jaw
a lantern jaw an oaken jaw a marble jaw a basalt jaw an obsidian
jaw

1. He has a lantern jaw that is square and firm.

2. He has a craggy jaw that is strong and hard.
3. He has a marble jaw that is rugged and masculine.
4. He has a granite jaw that is gritty and tough.
5. He has an obsidian jaw that is obdurate and unyielding.

SHOULDERS
Atlas taurine simian Colossus canyon ridge
shoulders shoulders shoulders shoulders shoulders
a Titan’s a wrestler’s Samson Corinthian ox yoke
shoulders shoulders shoulders shoulders shoulders

1. He has Atlas shoulders above a six-pack.

2. He has taurine shoulders above a barrel chest.
3. He has simian shoulders and an Olympian’s chest.
4. He has Corinthian shoulders and a horizon flat stomach.
5. He has ox yoke shoulders and a ishboard stomach.

STRENGTH
a gladiator’s a goliath’s a leviathan’s a Spartan’s a gym toned
biceps body forearms muscles physique
a a Greek Popeye Schwarzenegger a gym honed
strongman’s god’s body forearms muscles physique
shoulders
1. He has a gladiator’s biceps and iron muscles.
2. He has a goliath’s body and ironbound muscles.
3. He has Popeye forearms and ironclad muscles.
4. He has a Spartan’s muscles and cast iron muscles.
5. He has a gym honed physique and muscles wrought from iron.

MASCULINITY
dishy brawny manly hunky hale and
hearty
dashing burly strapping handsome hewn from
rock

1. He is dashing with a rascal’s smile.

2. He is brawny with a roguish smile.
3. He is strapping with a scamp’s smile.
4. He is hunky with a scallywag’s smile.
5. He is hale and hearty with a rapscallion’s smile.

MOVEMENT
a cat like a tiger like an athletic a lion-like a feline grace
grace tread grace power
a leopard like sure-footed a balletic a leonine like a panther
grace purpose grace poise in slow-mo

1. He moved with a cat like grace.

2. He walked with sure-footed purpose.
3. He eased about the room with a balletic grace.
4. He prowled around with a lion-like power.
5. He padded through the room like a panther in slow-m
 BEARDS

LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5 OTHERS

a goatee a spade an Abe a Captain a Moses
shaped beard Lincoln Ahab beard
beard
a galway a devil’s fork a Vandyke a Socratic a Methuselah
beard beard beard beard

1. He has a shiny goatee.

2. He has a smooth, spade shaped beard.
3. He wears a glossy, Abe Lincoln beard.
4. He boasted a flowing, Socratic beard.
5. He sported a sartorial, Methuselah beard.

MOUSTACHES
a bushy a pencil thin a toothbrush a handlebar a Zapata
moustache moustache moustache moustache moustache
a bristly a military a smig a walrus a D’Artegnan
moustache moustache moustache moustache

1. He has a dark, bristly moustache.

2. He has a dapper, military moustache.
3. He wears a dandy, toothbrush moustache.
4. He wears a drooping, walrus moustache.
5. He sported a dashing, D’Artegnan moustache, the emblem of a true musketeer.

STUBBLE
dark stubble grainy sand-rough morning a rime of
stubble stubble shasow grey
peppered gritty stubble designer five o’ clock salt and
stubble stubble shasow pepper
stubble

1. He has manly, peppered stubble.

2. He has manful, gritty stubble.
3. He has mannish, designer stubble.
4. His face is grizzled with manlike, five o’ clock shasow.
5. His face is grafted with a masculine rime of grey.

BLUE EYES
sea rover- nomad-blue voyager-blue seafarer-blue trailblazer-
blue eyes eyes eyes eyes blue eyes
Rasputin- nautical-blue mariner-blue wayfarer- wanderlust-
blue eyes eyes eyes blue eyes blue eyes

1. His Rasputin-blue eyes are as clear as a calm lake.

2. His nautical-blue eyes are as clear as a summer brook.
3. His voyager-blue eyes are as clear as a fresh pond.
4. His seafarer-blue eyes are as clear as a spring stream.
5. His trailblazer-blue eyes are as clear as a mountain stream.

DIFFERENT EYE COLOURS

hypnotic, scorching, beguiling, enthralling, enchanting,
meltwater- smaragdine- turquoise- champagne- clay-grey
blue eyes green eyes green eyes brown eyes eyes
mesmerizing, iridescent, bewitching, entrancing, enrapturing
empyrean- malachite- tourmaline- molten- , loam-grey
blue eyes green eyes green eyes brown eyes

1. He has lambent, meltwater-blue eyes

2. He has fulgent, smaragdine-green eyes.
3. He has bedazzling, tourmaline-green eyes.
4. He has effulgent, molten-brown eyes.
5. He has scintillating, loam-grey eyes.

SHAPE OF EYES
doe shaped saucer orb round lunar shaped moon shaped
eyes shaped eyes eyes eyes
almond Saturn opal round sloe shaped millpond
shaped eyes shaped eyes eyes round

1. They are doe shaped and the windows to his soul.

2. They are saucer shaped and the mirrors of his soul.
3. They are opal round and the pathways to his soul.
4. They are lunar shaped and the gateways to his soul.
5. They are millpond round and the portals to his soul.

ARCHAIC WORDS FOR EYES

a-dazzle with a-flicker with a-gleam with a-glow with a-sparkle
wonder curiosity delight love with mirth
a-fire with a-flush with a-glimmer a-light with a-twinkle
passion triumph with interest joy with the ‘joie
de vivre’

1. They are a-dazzle with wonder over a friendly smile.

2. They are a-flicker with curiosity over a genial smile.
3. They are a-glimmer with interest over his affable smile.
4. They are a-glow with love and he flashed me an amiable smile.
5. They are a-twinkle with the ‘joie de vivre’ and he graced me with a jaunty smile.

PERSONALITY
a dashing a devil-may- a vivacious a flamboyant a
personality care outlook personality character buccaneering
personality
an a derring-do a gregarious a debonair a
adventurous outlook personality character sishbuckling
personality personality

1. He has a dashing personality and a cosmic smile.

2. He has a devil-may-care outlook and a stellar smile.
3. He has a gregarious personality and a galactic smile.
4. He has a debonair character and a celestial smile.
5. He has a sishbuckling style and an Arcadian smile.

VOICE
a deep voice a bass voice a foghorn a rumbling a stentorian
voice voice voice
a booming a trombone a volcanic like bottled a grit-and-
voice voice voice thunder gravy voice

1. He has a booming voice, full of vim.

2. He has a trombone voice, full of verve.
3. He has a volcanic voice, loaded with vigour.
4. He has a voice like bottled thunder, a measure of his vitality.
5. He has a stentorian voice, a man who believed in ‘Vi et armis’. (By force and arms)

CLOTHES
snazzy natty clothes gap year rakish twee clothes
clothes clothes
ritzy clothes nifty clothes swanky raffish Miami Vice
clothes clothes clothes

1. He wears snazzy clothes and his hair is wind-tossed.

2. He wears natty clothes and his hair is wind-tumbled.
3. He wears swanky clothes and his hair is wind-tangled.
4. He wears raffish clothes and his hair is wind-tousled.
5. He wears Miami Vice clothes and his hair is wind-tempested.
 LEVEL 1: BASIC SENTENCES
1. He has Viking-gold hair. HAIR
2. He has bristly eyebrows. EYEBROWS
3. He has a hawkish nose. NOSE
4. He has defined cheekbones. CHEEKBONES
5. He has a concrete jaw. JAW
6. He has a Titan’s shoulders. SHOULDERS
7. He is dishy. MASCULINITY
8. He moved with a leopard-like grace. MOVEMENT
9. He has sea rover-blue eyes. EYES
10. They are almond shaped. SHAPE OF EYES
11. They are a-fire with passion. ARCHAIC WORDS FOR EYES
12. He is adventurous. PERSONALITY
13. He has a deep voice. VOICE
14. He wears ritzy clothes. CLOTHES
15. An earthy scent swirled around him. SMELL

A BASIC PARAGRAPH
He has a Mohican cut and scythe-shaped eyebrows. His Roman nose and half-dome
cheekbones sat above an oaken jaw. His wrestler’s shoulders are part of his burly
physique. He walked with a tiger like tread and his nomad-blue eyes twinkled. They are
Saturn round and are a-flush with triumph after his job promotion. His derring-do
personality and bass voice are a big part of his ambitious character. He always wears nifty
clothes and his spicy aroma is appealing.

A CREATIVE PARAGRAPHS
He is a male model and he is adored by the fairer sex for his Teutonic-gold hair. It is a
casual jumble sometimes but mostly neat and flowing. His crescent-of-moon eyebrows are
thin and narrow. He carried an imperious nose well and his angular cheekbones carved
down towards a flinty jaw. Unusually for a model, he has a manly, Samson physique. The
catwalk loved the way he glided with an athletic grace without skipping a beat.
His mariner-blue eyes are orb round and darted constantly, a-gleam with delight and the
vigour of youth. They are soft, Irish eyes and swam with joy. They shone brightly, like two
sapphires dipped in milky pools. Everyone commented on his vivacious character and his
gentle nature. His voice could be foghorn loud when he is booming out a guffaw but it is
normally mellifluous. His gap year clothes always made him appear younger than his years.
The swirl of his loamy cologne has them swooning in the aisles.

A CREATIVE PARAGRAPH #2
He isn’t a male model but he should have been. The lush, mother lode-gold hair he
groomed so carefully has a rippling quality, a sign of his rude health. His only blemish is
that he is beetle-browed and they sometimes knitted in frustration. The aquiline nose he
sported complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome in an understated way, his
basalt jaw and Spartan shoulders spoke of strength. He possessed a latent, leonine power
and always walked with purpose and authority.
People has always remarked that his best feature is his entrancing, wayfarer-blue eyes. Sloe
shaped, they could shine as bright as the evening stars when they are a-light with joy. At
other times, they could resemble two liquid-blue pools of flashing fire. Flamboyant of
character, the room always filled with his sonorous, rumbling voice. He is also quick to
crack a joke or fire off a humorous retort. His rakish clothes are a source of amusement to
some, not least because they emanated an herbal smell.

COMPLEX WRITING
A Brad Pitt look-alike: The man I met at the wedding has a touch of the Brad Pitt about
him. His hair is Achilles-gold and coiffed to perfection. His eyes has the same startling
clarity as a mountain stream and the lineaments of his face are in perfect proportion to each
other. He seemed moulded from a different cast as he has an androgynous look uncommon to
most people. Lacquered and enamelled by the sun, he radiated energy and brio. His
mountain peak cheekbones appeared chiselled into shape by a master craftsman. They are
of such sharp contours, it looked as if they are sculpted and pared to perfection. With eyes as
bright and spellbinding as lode stars, they bewitched all those who fell under his steady
gaze. They are a-sparkle with mirth and shone like two eternity-blue jewels enwrought in
snow.
He has a fruity laugh and a grit-and-gravy voice. It alternated from strident to soothing
depending on his whim. The trace of a southern drawl is in there also but the brogue itself is a
gentle one and pleasing to the ear. He moved with a feline grace. It looked as if he is padding
across the ground rather than walking. His oval face held a pleasant countenance and spoke
of a gentle soul. When he flashed those sorcery-white, piano key teeth, he could melt hearts.
Unusually, his eyebrows are arched and seam-gold, not the bristly, fire gazer black common
to most men. He carried himself with a kingly air, a distinct mood of gravitas, although he
could be buccaneering and childlike on occasion. His twee clothes bore this out. His eau-
de-Cologne left a vapour trail of spice and cinnamon behind him when he walked.

Homework: Describe your father.

*Once you’ve written the essay, send me a picture of it so that I can correct and send
you the feedback.