Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 59413
Dealing with Grief: A Comparison of Point of View and
Tone
This three to five-day lesson invites students to delve into a theme with which we are all familiar in some way: grief. Students use their knowledge
of poetic devices, theme, and point of view to analyze Emily Dickinson's and Elizabeth Barrett Browning's viewpoints on the emotions, or the lack
thereof, that one experiences during times of pain and loss. This lesson directs students to read the poems multiple times to develop their
understandings as they read between the lines seeking the layers of meaning these authors present. This is followed by a written response in which
students communicate their interpretations.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 11, 12
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Document Camera, LCD
Projector
Instructional Time: 3 Hour(s)
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: tone, theme, point of view, grief, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, close reading, writing,
literature, poetic devices, sound devices, figurative language
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Common Core Rubrics_Gr1112.pdf
Dickinson Browning Comparison Graphic Organizer.docx
Poems and Questions Dickinson Browning Comparison Grief Poems Key.docx
Poems and Questions Dickinson Browning Comparison Grief Poems.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
1. apply their understanding of poetic devices to mark a poem and communicate in writing the effects that those devices have on the poem's theme.
2. analyze how point of view and figurative language contribute to the tone/attitude of a poem, citing at least two pieces of evidence from the text to support their
analysis.
3. write a two-paragraph comparison of two authors' attitudes regarding a particular theme.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Prior to analyzing these poems, students should be familiar with the following key literary devices:
tone/attitude
alliteration
figurative language (specifically, metaphor, simile, and imagery)
theme
page 1 of 5 point of view (third person versus first person)
Here is a list of common literary devices, definitions, and examples.
See Formative Assessment #1 for a suggestion for checking student understanding of these terms.
It is also important to clarify that students need to be able to use an adjective to describe an author's tone. FLVS provides an excellent tone words bank here.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
1. In what ways do authors communicate tone through their writing?
2. How does grief affect people's lives?
3. In what ways do people deal with grief?
4. How do people communicate emotions to others? For example, how might one communicate anger, excitement, frustration, or anxiety?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
Engagement: (Day 1)
This topic may be difficult for some students to deal with, but all are sure to connect with it in some way. Begin the lesson by engaging students in thinking about
grief: the emotions associated with it, the many ways people deal with it, and any experiences students have had with it. Use the following Guiding Questions to
generate student thinking:
How does grief affect people's lives?
In what ways do people deal with grief?
How do people communicate emotions to others? For example, how might one communicate anger, excitement, frustration, anxiety?
Provide about five minutes for students to free write as many ideas, memories, or thoughts they have associated with grief. In a brief class discussion, follow the free
writing activity with an opportunity for students to brainstorm words and phrases that came to mind. Create a word web on the board with grief at its center and
students' ideas surrounding it.
Goals of the Lesson: Explain to students that the class will be spending several days analyzing two poems about grief. Prior to reading the poems, however, the class
will begin with a quick review of the literary devices students will need in order to analyze the poems and interpret meaning.
Access Prior Knowledge/Review:
1. Begin with the numbered heads strategy. Number students 1s and 2s and provide each pair with one of the following literary devices on an index card (you may
need 2-3 copies of each device, with instructions to define the device, and provide one example of the device from a previous class activity): tone/attitude,
alliteration, figurative language (specifically, metaphor, simile, and imagery), and point of view (third person versus first person). Differentiate this activity by
grouping students by ability and giving the more challenged students the easier of the two roles.
2. Next, provide groups three to five minutes to define their assigned term(s) and provide an example of the term from a previous reading, preferably a poem. Check
student understanding by circulating during this time to see which students need more assistance with these terms and plan their groups for the next part of the
assignment accordingly.
3. When it is time to share with the class, #1 in each group will share the definition, and #2 in each group will share the example from a previous reading. All
students should take note of the definitions and examples, which they can refer to during this assignment. These notes will complete Day 1.
Day 2: Begin class by briefly reviewing the ideas discussed the day before regarding grief, as well as the poetic devices students will need to have fresh in their minds
to close read the poems (students should have these notes on their desks.) After providing copies of the poem and question tri-fold, the teacher will then model
readings of both poems as students follow along silently.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Day 2 (Continued):
1. After reading aloud, the teacher will then distribute highlighters and graphic organizers to groups of two-three students, preferably grouped by ability so that there
is a balance of stronger and weaker students in the groups. Using the document camera and projector, the teacher will model the color coding process, marking the
first poem for form, numbering the lines, stanzas, and taking note of the number of syllables in each line in color #1 and transferring the information into the
graphic organizer. Specify for students that they should read both poems first for form, including the number of lines and syllables.
2. The second reading should include rhyme scheme and sound devices. The third reading should include figurative language.
3. After students have been given the chance to ask questions for clarification, have them continue working on their three readings, color marking, and graphic
organizers in their small groups. Circulate to provide assistance and feedback. A key for teacher reference can be found here.
4. As closure for Day 2, prompt student thinking by asking Guiding Question #1: In what ways do [these] authors communicate tone through their writing? Have
students share the attitudes and emotions each author expresses; you may want to direct them to express their ideas using adjectives for tone (depressed,
mournful, sorrowful, somber, etc.) and nouns for emotions (depression, mourning, sorrow, etc.) to help them differentiate between the terms. Write on the board
that tone and emotions in a poem help to communicate its themes.
5. Finally, as an exit ticket for the day, have each student complete the theme statements for each poem: According to Dickinson's poem, grief is
_____________________. According to Browning's poem, grief is _______________________. This activity will complete Day 2. Possible answers include:
According to Dickinson's poem, grief is shocking, stiffening, disturbing, unsettling, cold, hard, silent, monotonous, harsh, or dulling. According to Browning's poem,
grief is draining, hopeless, passionless, lonely, deadening, or silent. Assign the homework (see Independent Practice).
Day 3:
To begin class, the teacher will provide chart paper for small groups of three to four students and direct one half of the class to work on a theme statement for
Dickinson's poem and one half of the class to work on a theme statement for Browning's poem. The teacher will want to return Exit Tickets from the previous day to
each student. On the chart paper, groups will develop one theme statement into a paragraph with two pieces of textual evidence to support their answers. This activity
should take about 15 minutes and will serve as further guided practice before students work on the independent comparison of the two poems. At the conclusion of
the 15 minutes, small groups will briefly share the responses they developed both verbally and by displaying the chart paper on which they recorded their work.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
For homework on Day 2, students will complete questions 1-3 for Dickinson's poem and 4-6 for Browning's poem, using evidence from the poems to support each
answer. Students will bring in their responses to share with their groups to begin class on Day 3 while the teacher circulates and checks for homework completion,
providing written and verbal feedback. This activity will be followed by a brief class discussion of each answer. During the class discussion, students will revise their
page 2 of 5 responses, working on a separate sheet of paper if necessary.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Following the Day 3 class discussion, the teacher will review student responses and directions for the two-paragraph writing prompt. Students will combine what
they've learned about each poem to write the formal response, #7-10 on the tri-fold handout. If students prefer, they may write a rough draft on the tri-fold and a
final draft on a separate sheet of paper for homework.
Summative Assessment
The summative assessment for this close reading assignment will occur when students complete the final two paragraph comparison of the two poems, #7-10, in
which they'll analyze how the authors' choices of point of view and figurative language contribute to each poem's attitude toward grief.
Formative Assessment
1. Prior to analyzing these poems, check student understanding of the following key literary devices: tone/attitude, alliteration, figurative language (specifically,
metaphor, simile, and imagery), theme, and point of view (third person versus first person). These devices should have been explicitly taught prior to this lesson, so a
simple review of the terms should suffice. A suggested strategy, which is brief and efficient, is numbered heads together. Pair students and number them as #1 and
#2 within their pairs. Assign each group one literary device, dividing all devices among the groups. Depending on the size of the class, you may have more than one
group working on the same device, which is fine. Next, provide groups three to five minutes to define their assigned term(s) and provide an example of the term from
a previous reading, preferably a poem. Check student understanding by circulating during this time to see which students need more assistance with these terms and
plan their groups for the next part of the assignment accordingly.
When it is time to share with the class, #1 in each group will share the definition and #2 in each group will share the example from a previous reading. Differentiate
this activity by grouping students by ability and giving the more challenged students the easier of the two roles. All students should take note of the definitions and
examples, which they can refer to during this assignment.
2. For the first, second, and third readings of both poems, respectively, students will mark each text for 1) form, 2) rhyme scheme and sound devices, and 3)
figurative language, which will reveal their understanding of the basic poetic devices taught in previous lessons. (The teacher will model this process with the first line
of each poem). A suggested strategy for this text-marking activity is color marking. Have students use highlighters to color code each device. They'll need to create a
legend for the color coding at the tops of their papers.
3. To check for student understanding of theme in each poem, have students complete this one word statement after completing the color marking and graphic
organizer: According to Dickinson's poem, grief is _____________________. According to Browning's poem, grief is _______________________. (Possible answers
include: According to Dickinson's poem, grief is shocking, stiffening, disturbing, unsettling, cold, hard, silent, monotonous, harsh, or dulling. According to Browning's
poem, grief is draining, hopeless, passionless, lonely, deadening, or silent.)
Feedback to Students
As groups work together using the numbered heads strategy, the teacher provides verbal feedback to students regarding their definitions of the literary terms and the
examples they choose from previous assignments. The teacher also provides this verbal feedback during the class discussion that follows the activity. As students work
in their groups to color mark the poems and transfer their understandings to the graphic organizer, the teacher will also provide verbal feedback.
After students complete the color marking process and the third formative assessment, the theme statements, they will turn in their work for the teacher to provide
written feedback as the teacher assesses students' understandings of the poems' themes.
Finally, students will receive verbal and written feedback regarding their small group work on the text-dependent questions leading up to the summative assessment,
#7-10 on the same page.
Click here for possible color marking, annotations, and answers to the text dependent questions. Please note that answers will vary.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
As mentioned previously, the numbered heads strategy provides an opportunity to differentiate this lesson for students through the assignment of the #1 task or #2
task. Ability grouping is also helpful, as it ensures struggling students have a little bit of assistance within their groups.
For students with special needs, it would be helpful to fill in part of the graphic organizer for them prior to the lesson, as well as provide sentence starters for the
short answer and two paragraph responses.
Extensions:
1. To challenge the more advanced students, ask students to mark the Biblical allusions found in each poem and explain the significance of these allusions in writing.
2. Ask students to extend their two paragraph responses into full essays of four to five paragraphs.
3. Have students perform the same cycle of close reading with two poems about a different theme. One suggestion is a comparison of war in "The Charge of the Light
Brigade" by Alfred Lord Tennyson and "Dolce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen.
Suggested Technology: Document Camera, LCD Projector
Special Materials Needed:
Highlighters, dry erase markers, printed copies of the tri-fold handout for students to mark
Further Recommendations:
1. If students are particularly challenged by poetry, the teacher may decide to incorporate some fluency practice. Choral reading works well, but so does having
students stand and read the poems in "answer-response" fashion. To do this, divide the class in half and have the two groups stand, facing each other. Instruct
students to read each poem chorally, alternating groups each time a pause or stop is reached (a comma, dash, colon, semicolon, question mark, exclamation point,
page 3 of 5 or period). This activity takes only a few minutes and may help students feel more comfortable with the texts.
2. To create a tri-fold, print the poem/questions handout onto two pages, then copy it two sided so that it can be folded like a tri-fold brochure. Students can then fold
the poem over to view it directly next to the questions they are answering about it.
3. If students need extra assistance, teachers may decide to have this assignment stretch across four to five class periods rather than three, assuming classes are 50
minutes long.
4. If students do not work in groups often, it is important to ensure they work under a specific role. In this case, with two-three students in a group, suggested student
roles include Leader, Note-taker, and Presenter, assuming that all students will complete the assignment on their own papers.
5. Writing conferences are particularly helpful when providing feedback to students. A writing conference would work well after students complete the summative
assessment so that teachers can review what was learned with individual students and provide feedback for next steps on future close reading and writing
assignments.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
In this lesson, students will study "After Great Pain" by Emily Dickinson and "Grief" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: April Fleetwood
Name of Author/Source: April Fleetwood
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Levy
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.1112.L.3.5:
LAFS.1112.RL.1.1:
LAFS.1112.RL.2.4:
LAFS.1112.RL.4.10:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2:
LAFS.1112.W.2.4:
LAFS.1112.W.3.9:
Description
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–
CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of
the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that
which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and
clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to
manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented
(e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. (Grade­specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth­, nineteenth­ and
early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same
period treat similar themes or topics”).
b. Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal
U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme
Court Case majority opinions and dissents] and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public
advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses]”).
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