In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school. In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner. Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
Etymology
The word "chasm" is derived from the Greek word χάσμα (pronounced "hasma")(point of note: all words transferred into English from the Greek language changed the Greek "χ" to a "ch", as in psychology, chronic, archaeology, etc.) and means abyss, an opening found on the earth's surface which is usually wide and deep.
In Greek, the verb associated with the word is χάσκω (pronounced "hasko") which could best be explained as
a) "with mouth agape" either in a state of surprise, puzzlement or absentmindedness
b) "to present a threatening gap" analogous to a mixture of the words loom and extend, lay or stretch out, as in for example:
"Before Gandalf loomed the bottomless pit beneath the Bridge of Kasad-dûm." This is not a quote from Lord of the Rings, mind you. The actual Tolkien quote is mentioned in the Examples section below.
Meaning
A chasm is a rift, a gap or fissure and in this sense we feel as if the opening is moderately large. It also denotes much greater gaps such as gorges and maintains the original Greek meaning of an abyss.
Metaphorically speaking, this wide gap pertains to a wide difference of opinion or state between two sides. For example, there can be a great chasm between
- two religions or ideologies
- the young and the old
- a mother and her daughter
- the rich and the poor
Examples
- "Suddenly Frodo saw before him a black chasm." J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
- “Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression. The chasm is never completely bridged."
Mythology
A word often seen linked in a number of mythologies to chasm is chaos due to the fact that the latter referred to a void, emptiness or an abyss from which the world sprang.
In Greek mythology, Chaos is a somewhat versatile entity, at times playing the part of a primordial goddess from which other primordial gods like Gaia, Tartaros and Eros came or who co-existed with other primordial entities such as Erebos, Nyx, Aither and Hemera to begin with. In some texts, it is certain that Erebos and Nyx alone, both deities of darkness, were Chaos's offspring.
Chaos is also likened to a cosmic egg, so to speak, which contained a mixture of basic elements. In any case, it is the void or chasm found above or below the Earth that according to Plato is a shapeless space with a mixture of trace elements while Aristotle refers to it as a void independent of bodies from which creation sprang.
The Romans merely agreed with the idea of the great chasm which is why not much by way of innovation is found on the topic in the brief search I undertook.
In Norse mythology, the chasm where no sun, moon, stars, land or sea existed was named Ginnungagap. It was described as a yawning void or gaping abyss. Into this chasm, the eleven poisonous rivers of Elivagar, emptied, froze and after years of clashes with sheets of fire that came from the land of fire Muspellheim to the south of the chasm, sparks of life materialized.
In sum, ancient civilizations generally agreed upon the notion that a great void or chasm existed from which life sprang either directly or indirectly.
Synonyms
a) abysm, abyss, deep, gorge, canyon, ravine, gulf, ocean
b) cavern, hollow, hole, pit, cavity, crater
c) cleft, crevasse, fissure, rift, schism
d) breadth, expanse, extent
e) black hole, emptiness, nothingness
For more vocabulary words, click on the image below.
