Teacher’s Name: Ms. Anne DeKrey
Date: September 1, 2003
Title of Unit (if lesson is part of a unit)-Unit 1 –Elements of Poetry and Short Stories
Title of Lesson- Understanding Poetry
Previous Assignment (if any)- none
Objective(s) – Students will identify the elements of poetry.
Students will identify the theme of the poem.
Students will demonstrate understanding by writing their own poems
and incorporating poetic elements.
Materials- Annabel Lee by Poe
Annabel Lee
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than loveI and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and meYes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than weOf many far wiser than weAnd neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
Teacher Activities- Read poem aloud, define literary elements by writing definitions on the
board:
Rhyme –the repetition of identical vowel or consonant sounds
EX: cat bat hat
Rhyme scheme- a poet’s pattern of rhymes
Ababcc
Assonance-repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds,
Role, control, console
Alliteration –repetition of consonant sounds
She shelled seashells by the sea shore.
Read poem aloud again and then ask students to point out examples of the use of the
elements in the poem. Ex: rhyme-side/bride alliteration half/happy/heaven
Assonace-ever/dissever
Question student’s understanding of what the poem is about and what themes a reader can
take from it:
Who is Annabel Lee?
Who is the author?
Who is the narrator? Who is “telling the story”?
What is the poem about?
What is a theme of the poem?
Bring questions around to explain the theme of the poem: Help them come to the
conclusion of eternal love conquering death.
Student Activities- Follow along while teacher reads poem aloud. Identify examples of literary
elements in the poem after they have been defined.
Begin writing assignment- write poem using 2 elements of poetry at least 8 lines and a (double
spaced, 12 point) paragraph following poem defining what literary elements were used in the
poem written by the student.
Evaluation- Interaction and questions answered in class will evaluate student’s
understanding of elements and poem.
Students will write poems for the next class period including at least 2 literary elements
used such as rhyme and alliteration. Papers will be graded according to whether or not at
least 2 elements were used in the poem and then the paragraphs must clearly identify the
elements the student chose to use. Paragraphs will be graded according to meeting set
criteria, grammar mechanics, and coherency.
Assignment- Write a poem of at least 8 lines in length using 2 elements of poetry that were
defined in class. Write a paragraph following identifying/discussing what elements were
used. (12 point Arial font, double spaced, half a page)