Lesson Plan

Spiders, Spiders, Everywhere: Poetry Analysis - Theme And Metaphor

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Walt Whitman's poem "A Noiseless Patient Spider" provides high schoolers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of perseverance and fortitude. After drafting a Quick Write about a time they tried and tried again to accomplish something, class members analyze the literary devices Whitman uses to develop his theme. Individuals then craft a C.E.R. paragraph presenting their interpretation of how the poet uses metaphors to develop the poem's theme.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Print the poetry vocabulary on card stock and laminate to permit reuse
  • Have learners transform their original quick write into a free verse poem modeled on Whitman's
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires copies of the poem and the CER template
Pros
  • Teacher notes offer suggestions for additional scaffolding for the lesson
  • Materials come in both English and Spanish versions
  • Links are provided to explanations of the various learning strategies used in the lesson
Cons
  • Beware of the typo in the CER template
Common Core