+126.  Clear Seeing.+-Clear statement depends upon clear seeing.  Not only must we choose an advantageous point of view, but we must be able to reproduce what can be seen from that location.  We may write a description while we are looking at the object, but it is frequently convenient to do the writing when the object is not visible.  Oral descriptions are nearly always made without having the object at hand.  When we attempt to describe we examine not the object itself, but our mental image of it.  It is evident that at least the essential features of this mental picture must stand out clearly and definitely, or we shall be unable to make our description accurate.

The habit of accurate observation is a desirable acquisition, and our ability in this direction can be improved by effort.  It is not the province of this book to provide a series of exercises which shall strengthen habits of accurate observation.  Many of your studies, particularly the sciences, devote much attention to training the observing powers, and will furnish many suitable exercises.  A few have been suggested below merely to emphasize the point that every successful effort in description must be preceded by a definite exercise in clear seeing.

EXERCISE

1.  Walk rapidly past a building.  Form a mental picture of it.  Write down as many of the details as you can.  Now look at the building again and determine what you have left out.

2.  Call to mind some building with which you are familiar.  Write a list of the details that you recall.  Now visit the building and see what important ones you have omitted.

3.  While looking at some scene make a note of the important details.  Lay this list away for a day.  Then recall the scene.  After picturing the scene as vividly as you can, read your notes.  Do they add anything to your picture?

4.  Make a list of the things on some desk that you cannot see but with which you are familiar; for example, the teacher’s desk.  At the first opportunity notice how accurate your list is.

5.  Look for some time at the stained glass windows of a church or at the wall paper of the room.  What patterns do you notice that you did not see at first?  What colors?

6.  Make a list of the objects visible from your bedroom window.  When you go home notice what you have omitted.

7.  Practice observation contests similar to the following:  Let two or more persons pass a store window.  Each shall then make a list of what the window contains.  Compare lists with one another.

+Theme LIV.+—­Write a description of some dwelling.

(Select a house that you can see on the way home.  Choose a point of view and notice carefully what can be seen from it.  When you are ready to write, form as vivid a mental picture of the house as you can.  Write the sentence that gives the fundamental image.  Add such of the details as will enable the reader to form an accurate image.)