British Library
British Library: Robert Browning: Creative Writing
Looking at three of Robert Browning's poems, students will be encouraged to think critically and create compositions that explore complex themes.[PDF]
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Critical Reading Towards Critical Writing
Aimed particularly towards writing about non-fiction, this site describes ways to think about what you read so you can write more clearly. Focuses on analyzing the "ways of thinking" that an author uses so you can evaluate the validity...
Cengage Learning
Houghton Mifflin: Emerson's Major Themes
Houghton Mifflin site has an entry that discusses major themes, historical issues, writing style, audience, and literary criticism for Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). Contains discussion/study questions and a bibliography.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Writing About Literature: Additional Resources
This is "'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow': An Allegory for a Young America," an exceptional student example of literary analysis as well as an explanation to the main body of her paper. A link to the MLA website is also provided.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Modeling Academic Writing
Students prepare an already published scholarly article for presentation, with an emphasis on identification of the author's thesis and argument structure.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Corduroy Lesson Plan
This ReadWriteThink activity features an opportunity for learners to respond to literature through writing journals about "Corduroy," by Don Freeman. This idea could be used with other books as well.
Bartleby
Bartleby.com: Cambridge History of Eng and Am Lit: The Romantic Revival Byron
Information on the life and works of Byron and several other Romantic-era writers is offered at this site, with links to critical analyses of these works.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Critical and Analytical Thinking About Literary Characters
Contains plans for four lessons that use the short story "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry to teach about characterization using word maps. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Id, Ego, and Superego in Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat"
Contains plans for seven lessons that use Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat" to teach the literary elements of plot, theme, and character to high school students. It also teaches about psychoanalytic criticism concepts such as the Id, Ego,...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: What Makes Poetry? Exploring Line Breaks
This lesson plan explains how analyzing poetry is a many-layered process. This lesson plan introduces the special characteristics of poetry and leads students through a look at how poems are structured and why. Includes links to poems...
Other
Teaching Heart: Fairy Tale Lessons & Ideas
Geared toward grades K-3--offers objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions and evaluations. Online lesson plans for introducing and teaching basic literary criticism skills.
Sonnet Central
Sonnet Central
A comprehensive site dedicated to the English sonnet. Site includes numerous pages grouped by country of origin and historic period. Also included is literary criticism of various sonnets and advice on how to write a sonnet. Click on the...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Mining Literature for Deeper Meanings
Writing a great English paper can be tough because literature doesn't always reveal its deeper meanings immediately. Amy E. Harter offers a few tips on how to read and write more critically and thoughtfully. [4:12]
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Selected Poetry of Oliver Wendell Holmes
From the University of Toronto Representative Poetry On-Line site, this page contains a brief discussion of the life and works of Oliver Wendell Holmes, American writer and physician. Contains links to electronic text versions of ten...
Other
On "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Acclaimed literary critic Dana Gioia analyzes Longfellow's classic narrative poem, "Paul Revere's Ride," encouraging readers to see beyond the story into the rationale for the structure and style of the poem.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Breaking Barriers: Critical Discussion of Social Issues
Through a series of picture book read-alouds and journal entries, students engage in critical discussion of complex issues of race, class, and gender.
Bill Carson
Puritan and Reformed Writings: The Poems of Edward Taylor
Biographical information with an emphasis on personality and poetic themes of Edward Taylor. Contains a list, opening lines, and links to Taylor's major works. Contains quotations from critics.
National Library of France
National Library of France: Emile Zola
An in-depth exhibition of Emile Zola's life, thought, and works. This exhibition, presented by the National Library of France, divides Zola's life into three divisions and uses his writings and art to show his devotion to Naturalism....
Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore has created one of the more thorough websites on Poe. It presents many essays on his life and various aspects of his works, as well as the texts of most of Poe's writings, including his poetry,...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Bright Morning
Use this lesson to delve into the exploration of character development in fiction through the novel "Bright Morning," by Scott O'Dell.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Considering a Feminist Perspective
This lesson plan explores issues surrounding understanding perspective and the power of opinion. Included in the lesson plan is an overview, practice, objectives, resources, preparation, and more.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Book Report Alternative: The Elements of Fiction
Analyzing a book takes the form of creating their own when students complete this activity. The stated goal is to help students "Read like writers." Includes link to a template for student use.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Archibald Mac Leish
This site houses three poems in full text from the great American poet Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982 CE), as well as criticism on two of his most famous. The three pieces are 'Baccalaureate', 'Two Poems from the War', and 'An Eternity'.
Other
Civil War Book Reviews
This site provides good examples of critical book reviews of Civil War literature.