Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 23: The Poetry of Jim Morrison

This lesson is designed to help young scholars recognize how lyrics by the rock-poet Jim Morrison connect with themes from diverse and respected traditional works. While William Blake's influence on Morrison is often noted, this lesson focuses on the connections between two of his songs and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and T. S. Eliot's 'Ash Wednesday.' Additionally, this lesson provides opportunities for the study of poetic concerns such as meter, form, language, and tone as well as literary interpretations of the lyrics. The lesson may be used as an introduction or follow-up to units on poetry, Sophocles and/or T.S. Eliot.