write a descriptive essay on the topic a funeral ceremony

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The Impact of a Funeral: a Personal Narrative

• Categories: Death

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Words: 701 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 701 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

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An emotional rollercoaster, a reflection on mortality, cultural and ritualistic significance.

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• Instructions Followed To The Letter
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• Writing About
• Tips For Writers

September 17, 2013

Writing about: a funeral.

12 comments:

Great post, valuable information. The first funeral I attended was for a 16 year old boy. He suffered from Muscular Dystrophy, and watching him disintegrate was heartbreaking, when his lungs and heart finally gave out it was devastating. Seeing him in the casket, his body finally straight - was beyond description - I lost it. (I was 20 yrs old) MD destroys the muscle and twists the body into unbelievable shapes. But at the grave site I found peace - I remember the hill we stood on, the view of the valley, the blue flowers and the birds singing. I remember clearly understanding that he was at peace, it was more than a thought-it came from deep inside as though his soul had reached out to mine. He granted me the peace of knowing he was free from pain - happy to no longer be deformed - free. That day, those feelings are what convinced me - there is no real death only a journey. Thanks for the information about dreams!

Thank you for sharing that touching story! I am sorry for your loss, and at twenty it no doubt would've been devastating, but I am happy that you were able to find peace. I know someone with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and he is one of the best people I know. He is terribly funny and an inspiration. He's also a writer, Ricky Tsang. He published his first book a couple of years ago titled, "Ridiculous: The Mindful Nonsense of Ricky's Brain", and he is writing his second book, which is about DMD. This is his awareness page: https://www.facebook.com/HopefulDestination?ref=profile And you're welcome for the dream information. I hope it gave some insight. :)

I agree with having to deal with the grief afterwards, and this is something I have to tackle with for two upcoming projects. As much as I want to get on with the action, I know that I'm going to have to slow things down and give the characters time to grieve. Good post!

In my series I had to deal with the same challenge, and it was difficult because I just wanted to dive into the next event (like you), but it is important to keep your character's grief for as long as it is needed. Good luck with your upcoming projects! :)

I've not written about a funeral, but I did have a major character die and had to show the other main character struggling to go on. There was anger, sorrow, and withdrawl.

Yes, tips #2 and #5 can be useful to help your characters (and readers) through the transition even if you don't write about an actual funeral.

I've written a funeral seen but it was a funeral observed from afar, so it was a little different. These are great tips, though. I'll definitely keep them in mind for the future.

In the case of a funeral witnessed from afar, you would really have to focus on what the character sees, their thoughts, and emotions. I added a bit more to my post to address this, so thank you for mentioning it, Ashelyn! :)

"What do you remember the most about a loved ones funeral/memorial?" -- Always the emotions, Chrys. The passing of my maternal grandmother 10 years ago was one of the saddest days of my life. I was at first in denial, seeing her photo at the obituaries section of the paper. I went to her room two days after she died and it all felt so surreal that I would no longer see her sleep in her bed. I cried and talked to her. On the day of her burial, I guess God finally helped me learn to let her go because even if I was still sad, a part of me was grateful that her suffering on earth finally ended. Thank you for sharing about these wonderful tips, Chrys! God bless! :-)

I am sorry for your loss, Irene! And I thank you for sharing your story with me. I forgot about denial. (Don't know how I did. So I will definitely add it to my post. Thank you for your comment! <3

Your always posting such valuable tips, Chrys! Thank you! I wish I was making these instances up, but sadly, I'm not. Two of the most dreadful deaths I had to go through were my Daddy C's and my first love, Glenn. Daddy C's funeral was an absolute shit show because his wife at the time was high on drugs and crashed his car that morning with my sister in the passenger seat. They were both okay, but my step-mother at the time was so high that she looked like a complete crackhead. She also tried selling all of my dad's clothes and some of his jewelry back at her house afterwards. Can you believe this? I could go on and on but I will leave it at that. The second funeral was my ex-boyfriend, Glenn's. He was also a dear friend of mine for almost 15 years. At his funeral, his girlfriend at the time (who must have missed the manners bus) was dressed in jeans and like a complete slob. She also told everyone how she was going to drink her sorrows away at some club that night, asking who wanted to go party and celebrate Glenn's death. Again, I wish I was making this stuff up, but I'm not. I could go on and on like how she showed up to his mom's house with no card or flowers, asking for some of Glenn's personal belongings from his bedroom. His mother loved me so much that she told her to sit down. Needless to say, I don't think Glenn's girlfriend was getting anything. There are so many other things that happened that day but again, I'd be here commenting for hours, lol. These two experiences are forever painted in the back of my mind. Someday, things will surface. Thanks for posting this, Chrys!

I am so deeply sorry for what you had to go through at Daddy C's and Glenn's funerals. Some people just don't have respect for others and it bothers me that they made such a spectacle of themselves. I wish it could've gone differently because those days, as terrible as they already were, shouldn't had been how they turned out. I'm sorry. :( But I am happy that you find my tips valuable. I just post about things that I have written, because I figured other writers may have to write them too.

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Describing a Funeral or Burial Rite

Through a five-paragraph descriptive essay, students will share their knowledge of a funeral service or burial ritual that they have participated in or attended. (The idea for this lesson came from the Ceremony of Release described in The Giver , a book by Lois Lowry. This is one of six ALCA lessons over the book.)

Teacher Goals

The student will write a five-paragraph descriptive essay about the funeral procedures of their culture.

Required Resources

The Giver, written by Lois Lowry Since the idea for this lesson came from the Ceremony of Release described in The Giver, the students should read that part of the book, at least.

• Descriptive Essay Checklist
• Descriptive Essays of Funerals

Optional Resources

Guest speaker or speakers Church ministers, funeral home directors, or some similar individuals would be good as speakers about funeral customs.

Write the Essay

Be sure to have an introductory paragraph (including thesis sentence), three developmental paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph . Use transitional words, such as next, then, afterward, therefore, however, etc. Make the essay more descriptive by using the senses, describing how things looked, sounded , smelled, felt , and tasted . Build strong, descriptive sentences as you remember details of the funeral or burial.

Teacher Notes

Within my classroom students have experienced different forms of funerals. Among the Native American students, their ideas varied, so funeral procedures were not consistent. This inspired me to contact a knowledgeble person and inquire about the Indian burial. This person spoke to my English classes about the traditional Otoe-Missourian Indian burial and the diferent symbolic meanings of the procedures. I did not contact a local minister or funeral home representative, but I might do so in the future. This whole idea was spun from the Ceremony of Release described in The Giver , written by Lois Lowry.

Duration: This could take two class periods.

Learner Notes

I have attended different Christian funerals and they all have been similiar. However, I have not attended a Catholic funeral service, so it might be different. The first Indian burial I attended was at the age of 10, and it left a lasting impression on me. I remember the food and Give-Away as if it were yesterday, instead of four years ago. This is how a paper might start. Notice that this paper has a thesis sentence (the one that is underlined). This sentence lets the reader know what the subject of the paper is. It leads the reader into the paper, by making the reader want to find out about the food and the Give Away. What kind of food was eaten or displayed? What was given away? These are some of the things that the writer will explain in the body of the paper - the three paragraphs before the conclusion.

Mentor Notes

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• Knowledge Base
• 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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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 June 18, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/descriptive-essay/

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