Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Color My World Grey and Blue
After listening to the song "Grey Street" by the Dave Matthews Band, and the song "Blu is a Mood" by Blu Cantrell, students will explore the lyrics and discover what role color can play when combined with a particular setting. Students...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Song Writing
This lesson engages students in writing lyrics to songs. Students will use free musical software to aid students as they put their lyrics to a tune and tempo.
Bartleby
Bartleby.com: The Golden Treasury of Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in Eng Lang
Electronic text of Thomas Palgrave's book, "The Golden Treasury: Of the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language". There are several ways to find the poem that you want to study: by author, by title, by first line, and by...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: An I Pod Inspired Poetry Lesson: Favorite Things Poetry
Using the song "My Favorite Things" from the musical, The Sound of Music, as inspiration, students will create their own song or poem (to the same tune) that lists their favorite things. Each verse will focus on their favorite things...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: An I Pod Inspired Poetry Lesson: "Ain't Gonna Rain No More"
Learners will study the rhythm of the old campfire song, "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More," and they will study how Karen Beaumont borrows the rhythm for her book I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! Students will create their own lyrics that can be...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: An I Pod Inspired Poetry Lesson: Song Parodies About School
After celebrating (and singing) some of the delightful songs from Alan Katz's "Take Me out of the Bathtub" and listening to songs by Weird Al Yankovic, like "Eat It," students will discuss the concept of parody. To practice writing a...
Other
How Anyone Can Write Better Lyrics
If you like to write lyrics or poems then you will want to look at this site. It gives good advice on how to improve your writing and suggests other resources you may want to invest in.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Hey, I Known That Song: Literary Analysis of Popular Music
This PDF lesson plan uses the Lyrics to "I Was a Kaleidoscope" by Ben Gibbard and the song "I Was a Kaleidoscope" by Death Cab for Cutie to analyze the poem and determine its meaning.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Grammar Basics: Metaphors
Learn about similes and metaphors through this multimedia presentation. First view a slide show describing different types of metaphors as well as a simile. Then watch a video [3:13] showing similes and metaphors used in popular songs. A...
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night
This website provides lyrics and general information for the song "My Old Kentucky Home," written by Stephen Foster. Includes in-text notes about specific parts of the lyrics.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Ain't That America
Students think that classic literature and historic events have little in common with life today, right? Think again! In this lesson, students get a chance to compare themes from classic novels or from American history to those found in...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Letter to Me
After reading song lyrics to Brad Paisley's "A Letter to Me" and the personal essay "A Letter to My Younger Self" by Brian Elroy, young scholars write a poem, lyric, or letter from George Washing to his younger self. Then students write...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Hyperboles
This tutorial focuses on the use of hyperbole; it defines the term and explains when it is used. It offers two video clips: the first demonstrates the use of hyperbole in song lyrics as it highlights them, and the second shows the use of...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 23: The Poetry of Jim Morrison
This instructional activity is designed to help students recognize how lyrics by the rock-poet Jim Morrison connect with themes from diverse and respected traditional works. While William Blake's influence on Morrison is often noted,...
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Dixie's Land
This website provides the lyrics to Dan Emmett's song, "Dixie," and also includes good notes on specific parts of the lyrics.
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Gwine to Run All Night
Lyrics to the song "Gwine to Run All Night," also known as "Camptown Races." Includes general information on the song and notes on specific parts of the lyrics.
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...
Other
Poem: "Waltz Me Around Again, Willie"
This page provides the lyrics to the 1906, Will D. Cobb and Ren Shields song, "Waltz Me Around Again, Willie."
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 43: Screening Coleridge's Fantasies
Students are often hesitant to speak out with their own explications of literature, but usually have no qualms when asked to offer interpretations of popular musical lyrics. In fact, they seem quite eager to defend a lyrical explanation...
Able Media
Able Media: A Modern Student's Guide to Catullus
The Modern Student's Guide to Catullus by Raymond M. Koehler brings the poems of the Roman poet Catullus and the Latin language to life through song and story.
Other
The Confederation Poets: Bliss Carman (1861 1929)
A great resource on Confederation poet Bliss Carman. This site provides numerous primary texts and essays on Carman's writing style.
Luminarium
Luminarium: "Sleep, Baby Mine" by Sir Philip Sidney
Full text of Sir Philip Sidney's lyric poem and lullaby, "Sleep, Baby Mine."
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: c.s.i.: The Cory Crime Scene
The character talked about in E. A. Robinson's poem, Richard Cory, is about a man with everything, a man that everyone wants to be like, a man who ends his own life without explanation. Singers Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, intrigued by...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Right Brained Lesson: Serendipitous Love Metaphors
Based on its title, student writers predict what Benatar's song means when it says that "Love Is a Battlefield." After discussing Benatar's extended metaphor as a class, students will create an original extended metaphor about love in...