thanks to the direction and help of Miss Burd, his English teacher. He particularly describes the important role Miss Burd played in his first success as a writer and what he wrote about in his first successful essay. Therefore, in the author's opinion, Miss Burd is the person who saved him from pain, loss, and misery. The following is the structural outline of the passage, and from the chart you can see how the author develops his theme.
1. The first part of the passage is Paragraph 1. It introduces the background of the author.
2. The second part is from Paragraph 2 to Paragraph 9. It narrates how Miss Burd first impressed the author and how she directed and encouraged him to write about his own expereince. Paragraphs 2 and 3 describe the author's first impression of Miss Burd and the way she taught. Paragraphs 4 to 9 give an account of the author's experience of how he came to write his first successful essay and what he wrote about in it.
3. The third part is Paragraph 10, which shows us the author's path to success through his own efforts.
4. The fourth part, Paragraph 11 and Paragraph 12, adds more about Miss Burd, her teaching career and other aspects of her life.
5. The last part, i.e. the last two paragraphs, points out the theme that Miss Burd is the author's salvation, she has been and should be honored as a good teacher, and that this article is a tribute to her.
