The capitalization rules are strict and inflexible—until you experience the fluid beauty of an Emily Dickinson poem. Ninth graders test their existing knowledge of language arts conventions with the many bent grammar rules in "I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain." Additionally, they discuss Dickinson's use of repetition, order of events, and alternate forms of punctuation (or lack thereof). For homework, class members reflect on "The Tell-Tale Heart" studied earlier in the unit and compare the central ideas in Poe's short story to those in Dickinson's poem.

Concepts

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

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Project the poem onto a whiteboard and highlight the different examples of repetition and punctuation
• Prompt pairs or individuals to proofread the poem and share what they believe is lost in the editing process

Classroom Considerations

• The 11th lesson in a 13-part unit

Pros

• Provides a poetry walkthrough for learners who could use some help with interpretation
• Provides a complete unit and module file for curriculum planning and instruction

Cons

• None

Common Core

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