Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Understanding and Analysis of Literary Text: Symbolism & Allegory
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] A learning module that teaches students about symbolism and allegory in five mini-lessons: Introduction, Recognizing Universal and Contextual Symbols in Literary Texts,...
Library of Congress
Loc: Poetry 180: Eagle Plain
A poem about the eagle is shared within six, three-line stanzas. The poem allow the reader to look at the American symbol in a different way.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Peace Poems and Picasso Doves
This lesson plan develops "think-aloud strategies" for reading poetry and incorporating symbols of peace in poetry and art. Included in the lesson plan is an overview, practice, objectives, resources, preparation, and more.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Close Reading of Poetry: Practice 3 (English Ii Reading)
Doing the exercises in this lesson will help students comprehend the poet's meaning by giving them practice in finding imagery, metaphors, symbolism, and allusions. RL.9-10.9 alllusions to other works.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Poems
In this instructional activity students listen to three modern songs that capture the symbolism in words--"Yesterday" by the Beatles, "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins, and "Tomorrow" from the Annie Soundtrack. They will analyze their own...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Symbolism/allegory (English I Reading)
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn to explain the function of symbolism and allegory in a literary text such as a poem. The ability to recognize symbolism and allegory will...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Symbolism in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"
This video segment from A Walk Through Harlem features the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Powerful Symbols and Words: Abolitionism & Women's Rights
This collection looks at an image and phrase used widely in abolitionist materials, and at how that symbol was adopted and adapted by Sojourner Truth and/or other women's rights activists. Students will examine an abolitionist medallion...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Literary Elements and Techniques Collection
These animated shorts introduce or review literary elements and techniques like theme, setting, figurative language, characterization, and conflict. They can be used when students are just learning how to identify the most commonly used...
Library of Congress
Loc: Poetry 180: Halloween
This one-stanza poem gives a haunting message about the carving of a pumpkin during the season of Halloween.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Close Reading of Poetry: Practice 3 (English Ii Reading)
Read carefully in order to identify allusion, imagery, metaphor, and symbolism, and evaluate their impact on the meaning of a text.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Close Reading of Poetry: Practice 2 (English I Reading)
Read carefully in order to identify allusion, imagery, metaphor, and symbolism and to evaluate their impact on the meaning of a text. RL.9-10.9 alllusions to other works.
Library of Congress
Loc: Poetry 180: It Took All My Energy
In this non-prose piece, the author reminisces about catching a fish, a symbolic event in the poet's life.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Literary Visions
Twenty-six half hour videos on literary analysis for high school students that feature authors, scholars, actors and noted critics. Topics include The Art of the Essay, Setting and Character in Short Fiction, Responding to Literature and...
Other
University of South Florida: Emily Dickinson: "I Dwell in Possibility"
Four peer-reviewed essays by university students analyzing aspects of Dickinson's poem, "I dwell in Possibility." One essay reveals that Dickinson developed her own philosophy that bridges the conflict between Puritanism and...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: The Poetry Lesson: Color Personification Poems
In this lesson plan, students will choose a color and write a poem. Students will use personification and speak from the point of view of the color. Then students will use watercolor paints to exemplify their poem about a color.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Capturing a Moment in Time
This instructional activity allows the young scholars to explore imagery poetry through the use of a digital camera. The students visualize an imagery poem then look at a painting that pays tribute to the poem. Then the young scholars...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Native American Acrostic Poems
In this instructional activity, students will synthesize the knowledge they have acquired about early Native American tribes by creating and presenting an acrostic poem that incorporates pictures symbolizing important characteristics of...
Repeat After Us
Repeat After Us: Have You Got a Brook in Your Litte Heart?
A poem from Emily Dickinson, "Have You Got a Brook in Your Litte Heart?", is provided on this site. Students may listen to this poem read aloud by Bobby Allen and can access a printable version of this piece.
A&E Television
History.com: The Wwi Origins of the Poppy as a Remembrance Symbol
The Remembrance Day symbolism of the poppy started with a poem written by a World War I brigade surgeon who was struck by the sight of the red flowers growing on a ravaged battlefield. From the devastated landscape of the battlefields,...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Literary Text: Close Reading of Poetry: Practice 3
This lesson will help you comprehend the poet's meaning by giving you practice in finding imagery, metaphors, symbolism, and allusions.
Veterans Affairs Canada
Lieutenant Colonel John Mc Crae
Read about the life of John McCrae. He wrote 'In Flanders Fields', the much loved poem that is read in ceremonies all over the world to commemorate those who served in the world wars. Because of his poem, the poppy has come to serve as a...
Library of Congress
Loc: Poetry 180: How to Change a Frog Into a Prince
In this poem, the author uses the "Frog and Prince" allusion to send a message about raising boys to turn into wonderful men.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Stairway to Heaven Examining Metaphor in Popular Music
Contains plans for two lessons that ask students to make connections between literary texts and popular culture texts like song lyrics. After checking popular culture texts for literary elements, these elements are then examined in...