An engaging unit connects Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson's shared themes of madness and departure from reality. The 10th lesson in the unit explores Dickinson's figurative language and structure choices in "I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain," with a gallery walk, literary discussion, and annotation exercise.

Concepts

emily dickinson, poetry, poetry analysis, poetic structure, literary analysis, literary themes, central ideas, figurative language, metaphors, annotation

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Project the poem onto the whiteboard for annotation practice
• Host the gallery walk around your classroom or a multipurpose room for larger groups
• Have pairs illustrate their interpretation of the poem using no words

Classroom Considerations

• Younger or struggling readers may need more assistance interpreting the poem
• The 10th lesson in a 13-part unit
• Refer to page eight of the module overview for a link to the poem, or locate the poem on your website of choice

Pros

• Emphasizes the focus on Common Core standards, particularly RL.9-10.5 
• Walks learners through the poem's events and structure, stanza by stanza

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.9-10.2 RL.9-10.4 W.9-10.9.a L.9-10.5.a