John Donne: Poems Lesson Plan

Donne's Views on Death

Kind of Activity:

Classwide Discussion

Objective:

Students will be able to: BR[]*Examine the development of the theme of death in Donne's poetry, and BR[]*Discuss how Donne's views on death developed over time.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2

Structure:

Have students revisit "Death, Be Not Proud," "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning," "Anatomy of the World," "At the round earth's imagined corners," and "This is my play's last scene."

Lead a class-wide discussion: What is Donne's attitude toward death (or Death) in each of these poems? How does it change in different poems, and why do you think it does? (You might introduce...