How to Write an Essay

College Writing Help for Adult Learners

A+ Literacy Skills
for Adult Learners

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About
  • Products
  • Testimonials
  • Blog

August 17, 2016 By Team TP - Sandy Leave a Comment

How to Turn 10 Words into an Essay – Basho’s Haiku: Caterpillar

In today’s video, you will learn how to turn 10 words into an essay.

Students often wonder how to find materials to discuss something really short. And what we’ll do is we will read a very short poem which is a haiku and it’s only 10 words.

I’ll show you how I go about writing about such a short work. This is just an example how I do things and there is lot to learn from it for you.

So let’s see, this is our poem. It’s very short, it is only three lines and only ten words. It is by Basho poet and translated by Robert Hass.

Let’s see.

A caterpillar,
This deep in fall,
Still not a butterfly.

Very interesting, right? Only ten words.

How do I write an essay on a poem that is ten words long?

So for me to write an essay about this poem, I need to break it into elements.

So how do I do it?

Now the most natural way to do it with this poem is to simply divide it in these three lines because they were already divided that way.

Number 1: “The caterpillar”. The caterpillar is the subject of this poem. This poem is about a caterpillar.

Next, “This deep in fall”. This seems to have something to do with time. We’re already in the fall and it is still not a butterfly. It’s not a butterfly yet. Okay?

So these are the three parts.

Number one, I’m going to take caterpillar the subject and I’m going to try to divide it somehow into parts. You now I’m all about division. You have to divide into parts in order to write about it.

So let me see what I can do. And based on the basic search about the caterpillar online on Google will show you that there are several stages for a caterpillar to become a butterfly.

So number is the caterpillar itself, it’s the larva. Well actually, the first stage in an egg but since Basho, meaning the poet, begins to talk about the caterpillar, we’re skipping the egg stage so we’re going straight to the stage of the larva which is the caterpillar.

Now the next stage is a chrysalis. It is the middle metamorphosis stage. It’s the stage in which actually this caterpillar is the most vulnerable because it is kind of hanging off a tree or off something and it would be easily picked up by a bird or any prey animal, or even by another insect.

And finally, out of the chrysalis comes out a butterfly. Okay?

So just by doing a search on what a caterpillar is and how it turns into a butterfly, I discovered something new, I discovered that there is something that is not present in the poem which is the chrysalis. Very interesting.

So this is part one.

Next I’m going to go to part two, were kind of section of this poem, and it’s just line two, “this deep fall”. So apparently looks like butterflies emerged early in the fall, at least according to the poet.

So the poet is thinking, “Hey the caterpillar. Oh I see it deep in the fall. It should be a butterfly, it’s not a butterfly.”

So apparently butterflies, according to the poet, emerged early in the fall. This one hasn’t done that yet.
And now I’m going to part three. The Poet seems to be critical of something. He’s unhappy of something.

So what is he critical of? What is he unhappy about??

Well something should be, but it is not. Something is A, but it should be B. And he is unhappy with that. Very interesting, right?

So this is a criticism of the caterpillar. It should now be a butterfly, but it is not. And this is the way I would be kind of brainstorming and thinking about it because I want to write an essay on it.

Now the most useful part for me has been this part: The part about the caterpillar.

Why?

Because I noticed something, I noticed that the poet pretty much skipped the middle stage of the larva into the butterfly which is the chrysalis. He just kind of skipped, which is very interesting.

So now I’m going to go and structure my essay and see how it will work.

Now in section one, I could put that the poet seems to be discontent. Now here I would just discuss the obvious. A should be B, but it is not.

Just a simple kind of not really a summary of the poem, but what is seems to be on the surface. The poet seems to be discontent, that’s all.

Next in section two, I’m going to talk the metamorphosis of going from caterpillar into a butterfly. And I’m going to say it’s a complex process. I’m going to discuss the process emphasizing the middle phase, the chrysalis.

I’m really going to emphasized because it gives me a lot of room to talk about it. It’s very interesting because again, the chrysalis is this very vulnerable stage of transition from the caterpillar into the butterfly.

And finally, I’m kind of going to conclude from that that the poet is right.

It’s true, yes, the caterpillar should be by now a butterfly, at least according to him, and he has the right (maybe) to be discontent but he is overlooking something. Because the poet overlooks the middle stage, his view may be limited. Right?

And now I’m going to my thesis. I’m simply going to say that Basho’s view seems incomplete.

Now it’s only my opinion, but it’s a well-informed opinion. Because it came out of me thinking about it in the way I just described. And if I would write a thesis statement, it would sound something like this:

Basho’s poem is critical of belated maturity.

That’s right, he doesn’t like it that the caterpillar is not a butterfly yet. So it’s a stab at somebody who is immature. That’s pretty much what he wants to say.

However, his view of the maturation process may be limited. I’m not saying it is limited because I don’t want to really criticize the poet. He’s a great poet and I don’t want to be that critical because after all, he has the right to be discontent.

But I’m going to say it may be limited because the poet omits a critical maturation stage, the chrysalis. And who knows maybe he doesn’t want to talk about the chrysalis because this is a stage where adults should guide their children or their adolescents and help them become more mature. Okay?

This might be part of my argument that, “hey you know what, in order for the caterpillar to become a butterfly, it needs to undergo the chrysalis and like where you’re present during that stage. Did you help bring it about?

See? That counts. So does the poet really have the right to be so critical if h never provided any kind of explanation about the chrysalis and what is required of the outside environment to make sure a caterpillar to become the butterfly?

Now this may be a bit far fetched, now this may be little bit too much. However, I just wanted to show you that you an definitely turn ten words, just a little short poem into an essay and you can go on actually forever depending how many ideas you can bring in here.

So what are your takeaways from this all?

  • Well number one, in order to write about anything, break it down into parts, and break down parts into further parts.
  • Next. Look something up. Look for unfamiliar concept. It may hold the key to your argument like for example, like the way I did. The caterpillar turning into a butterfly actually has another transitional which is never mentioned in the poem and that became kind of the cornerstone, became the basis for my argument about this poem.
  • Get the facts and then build the preliminary structures. We got all the facts. We pretty much brainstorm everything we could and then we started to build the structure of the essay.

And out of everything you’ve done, out of that structure, out of that brainstorming, out of the analysis and the research, now you’re ready to derive your thesis.

I hope this is helpful, and I’ll see you in the future video.

Pick up your gift here ->

Cheers,

TP

Filed Under: Essay Writing Tips, Get Started, Reading Comprehension, Thesis Statement, Videos

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Videos

Free Essay Webinar Free Essay Webinar Free Essay Webinar

Categories

  • Career
  • Essay Writing Tips
  • Get Started
  • Getting It Done
  • Grade Destroyers
  • Grammar
  • Introductions and Conclusions
  • Paragraphs
  • Power Words
  • Punctuation
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Sample
  • Sentences
  • Style
  • Thesis Statement
  • Videos
  • Vocabulary Building
  • Writing for Work
stop_essay_pain_banner_300
Stop Essay Pain

Copyright © 2014 Tutor Phil

Privacy Policy ·  Refund Policy ·  Terms of Service

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience.

My settings
Cookie Policy

Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.

Cookie Policy

Privacy Policy
Welcome to TutorPhil.com

We understand that privacy online is important to users of our Site, especially when conducting business. This statement governs our privacy policies with respect to those users of the Site (”Visitors”) who visit without transacting business and Visitors who register to transact business on the Site and make use of the various services offered by TutorPhil.com (collectively, “Services”) (”Authorized Customers”).

Personally Identifiable Information

refers to any information that identifies or can be used to identify, contact, or locate the person to whom such information pertains, including, but not limited to, name, address, phone number, fax number, email address, financial profiles, social security number, and credit card information. Personally Identifiable Information does not include information that is collected anonymously (that is, without identification of the individual user) or demographic information not connected to an identified individual.

What Personally Identifiable Information is collected?

We may collect basic user profile information from all of our Visitors. We collect the following additional information from our Authorized Customers: the names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of Authorized Customers, the nature and size of the business, and the nature and size of the advertising inventory that the Authorized Customer intends to purchase or sell.

What organizations are collecting the information?

In addition to our direct collection of information, our third party service vendors (such as credit card companies, clearinghouses and banks) who may provide such services as credit, insurance, and escrow services may collect this information from our Visitors and Authorized Customers. We do not control how these third parties use such information, but we do ask them to disclose how they use personal information provided to them from Visitors and Authorized Customers. Some of these third parties may be intermediaries that act solely as links in the distribution chain, and do not store, retain, or use the information given to them.

How does the Site use Personally Identifiable Information?

We use Personally Identifiable Information to customize the Site, to make appropriate service offerings, and to fulfill buying and selling requests on the Site. We may email Visitors and Authorized Customers about research or purchase and selling opportunities on the Site or information related to the subject matter of the Site. We may also use Personally Identifiable Information to contact Visitors and Authorized Customers in response to specific inquiries, or to provide requested information.

With whom may the information may be shared?

Personally Identifiable Information about Authorized Customers may be shared with other Authorized Customers who wish to evaluate potential transactions with other Authorized Customers. We may share aggregated information about our Visitors, including the demographics of our Visitors and Authorized Customers, with our affiliated agencies and third party vendors. We also offer the opportunity to “opt out” of receiving information or being contacted by us or by any agency acting on our behalf.

How is Personally Identifiable Information stored?

Personally Identifiable Information collected by TutorPhil.com is securely stored and is not accessible to third parties or employees of TutorPhil.com except for use as indicated above.

What choices are available to Visitors regarding collection, use and distribution of the information?

Visitors and Authorized Customers may opt out of receiving unsolicited information from or being contacted by us and/or our vendors and affiliated agencies by responding to emails as instructed, or by contacting us at tutorphil@tutorphil.com.

Are Cookies Used on the Site?

Cookies are used for a variety of reasons. We use Cookies to obtain information about the preferences of our Visitors and the services they select. We also use Cookies for security purposes to protect our Authorized Customers. For example, if an Authorized Customer is logged on and the site is unused for more than 10 minutes, we will automatically log the Authorized Customer off.

How does TutorPhil.com use login information?

TutorPhil.com uses login information, including, but not limited to, IP addresses, ISPs, and browser types, to analyze trends, administer the Site, track a user’s movement and use, and gather broad demographic information.

What partners or service providers have access to Personally Identifiable Information from Visitors and/or Authorized Customers on the Site?

TutorPhil.com has entered into and will continue to enter into partnerships and other affiliations with a number of vendors. Such vendors may have access to certain Personally Identifiable Information on a need to know basis for evaluating Authorized Customers for service eligibility. Our privacy policy does not cover their collection or use of this information. Disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information to comply with law. We will disclose Personally Identifiable Information in order to comply with a court order or subpoena or a request from a law enforcement agency to release information. We will also disclose Personally Identifiable Information when reasonably necessary to protect the safety of our Visitors and Authorized Customers.

How does the Site keep Personally Identifiable Information secure?

All of our employees are familiar with our security policy and practices. The Personally Identifiable Information of our Visitors and Authorized Customers is only accessible to a limited number of qualified employees who are given a password in order to gain access to the information. We audit our security systems and processes on a regular basis. Sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or social security numbers, is protected by encryption protocols, in place to protect information sent over the Internet. While we take commercially reasonable measures to maintain a secure site, electronic communications and databases are subject to errors, tampering and break-ins, and we cannot guarantee or warrant that such events will not take place and we will not be liable to Visitors or Authorized Customers for any such occurrences.

How can Visitors correct any inaccuracies in Personally Identifiable Information?

Visitors and Authorized Customers may contact us to update Personally Identifiable Information about them or to correct any inaccuracies by emailing us at tutorphil@tutorphil.com.

Can a Visitor delete or deactivate Personally Identifiable Information collected by the Site?

We provide Visitors and Authorized Customers with a mechanism to delete/deactivate Personally Identifiable Information from the Site’s database by contacting tutorphil@tutorphil.com. However, because of backups and records of deletions, it may be impossible to delete a Visitor’s entry without retaining some residual information. An individual who requests to have Personally Identifiable Information deactivated will have this information functionally deleted, and we will not sell, transfer, or use Personally Identifiable Information relating to that individual in any way moving forward.

What happens if the Privacy Policy Changes?

We will let our Visitors and Authorized Customers know about changes to our privacy policy by posting such changes on the Site. However, if we are changing our privacy policy in a manner that might cause disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information that a Visitor or Authorized Customer has previously requested not be disclosed, we will contact such Visitor or Authorized Customer to allow such Visitor or Authorized Customer to prevent such disclosure.

Links:

This web site contains links to other web sites. Please note that when you click on one of these links, you are moving to another web site. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of these linked sites as their privacy policies may differ from ours.

Save my settings