NWR - Narrative Elements - Part Two Lesson

Think of your favorite food or meal, or perhaps your favorite place to visit. What does it smell like? Look like? Taste like?

What sounds are characteristic of your favorite vacation spot? When you use vivid, descriptive language in your speech, you immerse your audience in a sensory experience that transports them from their seats and into the experience you craft with your words.

Writing descriptively is more than just using "pretty" language to dress up your speech; in fact, you want to be careful that your speech doesn't come across as poetry. Using descriptive language can actually help get your points across more pointedly to your audience than by simply presenting hard facts and data. Descriptive language engages your audience's imagination.

The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis

During World War II, the South Pacific Philippine Sea was not only the site of many battles but also where the United States had many ships stationed. One of the ships was the U.S.S. Indianapolis, which sank after being torpedoed by an enemy submarine. This History Detectives video segment chronicles that attack from the perspective of one survivor, L.D. Cox. While being interviewed about his memories of a fellow sailor, Cox describes the sinking from the instant the boat was hit to the moment he heard the engines of the rescue planes. He illustrates his furious swim away from the sinking vessel, surviving extreme dehydration and floating for days in shark-infested waters. Watch the video below. Remain patient as the video loads.

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS