Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats

Literature Lesson Plans - Sykalo Eugen 2024

Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats

Grade Level: This lesson plan is intended for High School English, ideally 10th or 11th grade.

Subject: Literature

Time Allotment: One class period (approximately 50 minutes)

Learning Objectives:

  • Students will be able to identify and analyze key symbols and figurative language in "Ode on a Grecian Urn."
  • Students will be able to discuss the poem's themes of art, beauty, time, and mortality.
  • Students will be able to consider the speaker's emotional response to the urn and the ideas it evokes.
  • Students will be able to appreciate the poem's use of sound devices and imagery.

Materials:

  • Copies of "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats
  • Whiteboard or projector
  • Markers or pens
  • Figurative language analysis worksheet (optional)
  • Images of ancient Greek urns (optional)

Lesson Procedure:

  1. Introduction (10 minutes):
  • Briefly introduce John Keats and his association with the Romantic movement.
  • Mention the importance of nature and beauty in Romantic poetry.
  • Show an image of an ancient Greek urn (optional) and discuss its function and potential symbolism.
  1. Active Reading and Annotation (15 minutes):
  • Distribute copies of "Ode on a Grecian Urn."
  • Have students read the poem silently, annotating unfamiliar words, phrases that evoke strong emotions, and any figurative language they encounter.
  1. Figurative Language Analysis (20 minutes):
  • Distribute a figurative language analysis worksheet (optional). Individually or in small groups, students analyze key examples of:

✵ Similes: How do similes help to create vivid imagery and comparisons?

✵ Personification: How does the speaker address the urn as if it were alive? What effect does this have?

✵ Metaphors: What is the urn a metaphor for? How does it represent art, beauty, and timelessness?

  1. Theme Discussion (15 minutes):
  • Lead a class discussion based on the analysis of figurative language:

✵ What are the central themes of the poem? Consider art, beauty, the passage of time, and human mortality.

✵ How does the speaker react to the scenes depicted on the urn? Does he feel joy, frustration, or something else?

✵ How does the poem explore the relationship between art and reality?

Differentiation:

  • Provide scaffolding for reading comprehension by offering a vocabulary list of unfamiliar words or paraphrasing complex lines.
  • Offer different options for the figurative language analysis worksheet (e.g., creating a chart matching specific lines with their corresponding figures of speech, drawing connections between different metaphors).
  • Allow students to choose a specific stanza or image from the poem for a deeper analysis of its meaning and emotional impact.

Extension Activities:

  • Students can research the history and symbolism of ancient Greek art, particularly funerary urns.
  • Have students write a descriptive poem inspired by a piece of art (painting, sculpture, etc.) they find particularly beautiful or thought-provoking.
  • Explore other poems by John Keats or other Romantic poets that explore themes of nature, beauty, and the human condition.

Assessment:

  • Participation in class discussions and group activities.
  • Completed figurative language analysis worksheet (if used).
  • Short essay analyzing the poem's use of figurative language and its effectiveness in conveying themes of art, beauty, time, and mortality.
  • Optionally, a creative writing piece where students imagine themselves addressing the urn and expressing their own thoughts and feelings about its message.