British Romantic Movement - Lessons for the Classroom

This cooperative in-class exercise has students examine some of the poems from Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. In addition to doing a close reading of the poems, they are also asked to rethink the idea that all of the poems in Songs of Innocence are completely, well, innocent.  In fact, they are shown sections of the poems that hint at the later, darker, more cynical readings of Songs of Experience.  

This handout has some of Blake's more famous poems and illustrations ("The Lamb," "Tyger, Tyger") along with some modern cartoons of Blake's poetry.  It also has the two "Holy Thursday" poems from Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience.  The cartoons are modern and insightful and could be used as part of a lesson explaining how Blake's own illustrations of his poems furthered the meaning and, for the reader, understanding of his verse. 

The first poem is a pastoral poem by Robert Burns -- very useful for comparing to pastorals by Thomas Grey (ideal) and Marlowe (mythically ideal).  It also helps place Burns squarely in the Romantic camp (real lives; real words).   The second handout contains the lyrics to the Dan Fogelberg song "Another Auld Lang Syne."  I find playing this song while the students write on these handouts compelling in exploring the nostalgia in Burn's lines to "Auld Lang Syne."  The death of Dan Fogelberg at an early age adds even poor poignancy to the song.

I used this handout of Coleridge's poem in a lesson.  I begin by not passing out the poem, but instead passing out a blank sheet of paper and turning off the lights and asking the students to close their eyes and put their heads down.  Next, I recite (with much flourish, I must say) "Kubla Khan." When I am done, I ask the students to as quickly as they can draw as many images from the poem as they can remember (or one image with detail).   I have included a short Power Point presentation to be shown afterwards on the writing of the poem.

 A group work on Coleridge's Lime Tree Bower poem.  It examines the predicament that Coleridge was in while his friends had the chance to go for an extended walk -- it also examines (through, as always -- a close examination of the text) the opportunity that his friends' sojourn gave him.  In addition to the analysis of the text, students are asked to relate (if possible) a similar experience that they may have had

   The poem by John Keats -- just the poem, no pictures, no notes -- with plenty of room for the students to write and take notes.  As a lesson, I first divide the students into the number of stanzas in the poem.  Then I give them about 10 minutes to plan out how to act out their particular stanza.  The only rules are that they must somehow make clearer what the words are saying.  They may have one narrator, or they may all take speaking parts -- whatever they think will help explicate the poem.  I should say, the story of the poem -- rather than any deeper meaning.