Intended as a guide for students of literature, this book introduces literary analysis through discussion of forms, elements, and genres. The first half of the book focuses on theory, with each section preceded by literary passages and interpretative questions. The second half is devoted to practice, and contains three contrasting literary genre…

This lesson plan highlights one episode in the "Divine Comedy" to provide students with an introduction to Dante's poem. After a brief introduction to the opening of the "Divine Comedy," which portrays Dante as a pilgrim guided by the poet Virgil on a journey through the Christian afterlife toward God, students read Canto 5 of…

Anthologists and editors prepare the way for poetry readers, selecting works that reward close reading and assisting interpretation through annotation. But on the Internet people can return to poetry in its native state--one set of words among many others competing for appreciation--and read with fresh eyes. The learning objectives of this lesson…

Describes the gradual breakthroughs and the classroom procedures in one teacher's efforts to find a pedagogy for poetry that would side-step or eliminate the need for a direct assault on meaning. Discusses the complex first response to poems. Uses visual art to encourage looking and seeing over judging, and reporting over interpretation. (PA)

Notes how discussing poetry as oral language helps high school students relate poems and imagination to their everyday lives. (RL)

This paper chronicles the evolution of a metaphorical graphical user interface (MGUI) at Lehigh University (Pennsylvania). From its inception, "The Funeral of Edgar" has been a guided exploration of Edgar Allan Poe's poem, "The Raven," aimed at modeling high school students' critical and analytical reading skills. This product…

Describes the advantages of students' free discussion groups in literature classes. Provides a transcription of five students discussing a poem. (RL)

This book, for grades 9-12, presents primary source materials relating to the poet Nikki Giovanni (including many of Giovanni's poems reprinted in full), easily adaptable lessons and activities, and a resource section for students and teachers wishing to study Giovanni's work further. It is a resource both for teachers already teaching the work of…

An alternative approach to the teaching of literature views the reading of a poem, short story, novel, or other literary work as an opportunity for a person to create his or her own immediate response. The approach suggests that there is no constant, objective meaning for a piece of literature, only individual responses reflecting the…

This 13-day curriculum unit is designed for use in English and language arts classrooms, grades 7-12 and junior college. While it is the third section in a series of five on the literature of war and peace, it can be used with or without the other four sections. Each section of the series focuses on a different genre of the literature of war and…

Assembled to aid high school literature teachers in exploring the epic with their students, materials in this book approach the epic as a product of a specific culture which presents vivid pictures of earlier societies. Following the introduction and the opening essay, "The Role of the Supernatural in the Epic," chapters are grouped under the…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to interpret and evaluate complex works of music, dance, theater, visual arts,…