Wordsworth's Poetical Works Lesson Plan

Two Romantic Views of London

Kind of Activity:

Group Work

Objective:

To compare two Romantic poets' depictions of London.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.8

Structure:

Have students divide into groups and provide them with copies of William Blake's poem "London," to be used alongside their annotated copies of Wordsworth's "Upon Westminster Bridge."

Students will work in groups to compare and contrast the two poets' views of London. What themes does each poet focus on? How does their word choice and imagery compare? Students may be guided in their exploration by a little background on Blake, who was...