Partner One:_____________________________________
Partner Two: ____________________________________
Romanticism WebQuest: Getting to know a Romantic author
SOLs 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.7
English 12
Ms. Midland
The Purpose
The writers of the Romantic Era were extremely interesting men. It is your turn to find
out about their biographies and writing for yourselves. You will be investigating one author’s
biography and literary works and then applying that knowledge to other tasks.
The Tasks
First, choose a partner with whom you can work productively. You may complete one
worksheet together, but you must complete the final task individually. Now, choose an author.
You will find some basic summaries of the key authors on the BBC website found at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/romantics/intro.shtml. The sidebar item entitled “The Poets” has
the basic biographies of the Romantic poets. When choosing one of the men, stick to the big five
I mentioned in class (Wordsworth, Coleridge, Bryon, Shelley or Keats). After you have chosen
an author, complete the each of the following four tasks.
1. The poet as a person:
For this section, you must use the websites listed below to answer the basic
questions about your writer’s biography. If you use other websites, ensure that you
keep reliability in mind. Websites from .edu addresses will likely be the best for your
search. For each aspect of the biography, ensure that you write down the web address
for the site you have used.
Websites:
 Wordsworth: http://members.aol.com/wordspage/bio.htm
 Coleridge:
http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Coleridg/bio.html
 George Gordon, Lord Byron:
http://engphil.astate.edu/gallery/byron.html
 Percy Bysshe Shelley: http://www.2020site.org/poetry/pbs.html
 John Keats:
http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=l&p=c&a=b&ID=27
Biographic Information:
 Date of Birth:
 Date of Death:
 Cause of Death:
 Major Life Events (Choose at least five):

Major literary accomplishments (At least two):

Noteworthy information/quotes:

Historically known for:
2. The poet as a writer:
In order to be completely familiar with a poet and his biography, you must read
some of his poetry. Choose two poems written by your poet. The BBC website on the
first page of the worksheet links you to several influential poems by each author. The
other useful websites are as follows:
 Wordsworth: http://www.bartleby.com/145/
 Coleridge: http://etext.virginia.edu/stc/Coleridge/poems/poems_links.html
 Shelley: http://www.bartleby.com/139/
 Keats: http://www.bartleby.com/126/
 Bryon: http://www.bartleby.com/people/Byron-Ge.html
With each poem, you must:
a. Copy the poem into a Word document (make sure you also copy the link for the
poem)
b. Read the poem
c. Summarize each stanza or major section of the poem
d. On the Word document, type the following:
i. A summary of the theme of the poem
ii. A one sentence summary of the poem
iii. A paragraph that explores possible relationships between the poem and
the author’s biography.
e. Print the Word document to turn in with your packet
3. The poet as an art-lover:
Romantic art is as fascinating as Romantic poetry. We discussed some key
Romantic images of war in class. Now it is your turn to evaluate Romantic art for
yourselves. For BOTH of the two poems you picked, you created a one sentence
summary. Choose a painting by the artists below that illustrates your one sentence
summary. With each painting, you must:
a. Copy the painting into a Word document (again, include the website link)
b. In the Word document, explain how the artwork relates to your summary.
c. In the Word document, evaluate the elements of the painting for their meaning
and significance in the painting
d. Print the painting and the summary
Artists:
 J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851), British, Romantic Period artist
 John Constable (1776-1837), British, Romantic Period artist
 Francisco Goya (1746-1828), Spanish, Romantic Period artist
 Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), German, Romantic Period artist
 Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863), Romantic Period artist
Each group member should have a copy of this page and keep it in order to complete the
assignment.
4. The poet seeking a new job:
The Romantic poets were a bit scattered. Their lives were often in ruin, and with one
mistake, it is possible that they would have been out of jobs. Imagine you are the poet you
have chosen. You have lost your job due to circumstances beyond your control, and you
must now apply for a new job. You must create a job for which you think your poet is
qualified based on the research you have done. Answer the following questions:
 For what job will your poet apply?

What in your poet’s life has qualified him for the job?

What elements of your poet’s life would you use to persuade an employer to hire
him?
Now you will create a cover letter to send to your poet’s future employer. You must first
explore the purpose of a cover letter. At the Purdue University writing center’s website
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/Coverletter/index.html), there is a
list of questions you may have about a cover letter, including the biggest question “what is a
cover letter?” Go to the links and explore the purpose of a cover letter. Based on the
information you have read there, create a cover letter appropriate to send to your poet’s
future employer. Your goal is to get your poet hired. Sell his strengths.
You must write a cover letter by yourself. You may brainstorm with your partner, but the
letter MUST be your own. A Rough Draft of your cover letter will be due: 5/1 (odd) and
5/2 (even). The letter should be first person (as if you are the author) and complete
according the guidelines on the Purdue website. You have plenty of time to ask questions,
so ASK QUESTIONS.
*When you are done with the WebQuest, turn in all of the work you have done for Roles 13. Ensure that both group members’ names are on the packet. Keep a copy of the fourth
page for yourself to help you with completing the Cover Letter assignment.