Analysing 'The Haunted Palace'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can analyse literary techniques in 'The Haunted Palace'.
Key learning points
- Poe uses persona to create a nostalgic mood towards the past.
- Poe uses a semantic field to chart the decline of power and beauty.
- Poe uses similes to depict the destruction of the palace.
Keywords
Persona - Persona is the word for a speaker who is a character in the poem.
Bereaved - A bereaved person has experienced the death of a loved one.
Semantic field - Semantic field is a group of words all relating to the same topic.
Nostalgic - To be nostalgic is to think about the past with fondness.
Common misconception
That the persona is the same as the writer.
Emphasise the difference. Draw attention to the different personas in 'The Haunted Palace' and 'The Raven'. Same writer, different personas.
Teacher tip
When making inferences, remind students that they are speculating but their speculations should be rooted in the text.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Haunted Palace'. There is a copy available in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the word sinister mean?
Q2.Which word is the best antonym (opposite) for the word bleak?
Q3.A seraph is
Q4.How does the mood of 'The Haunted Palace' change from the beginning to the end?
Q5.In what ways are 'The Raven' and 'The Haunted Palace' similar?
Q6.The king in 'The Haunted Palace' is presented as magnificent but also stern. Which of the following quotations support that interpretation?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.If someone is bereaved, what has happened to them?
Q2.Match the words with the correct definition.
a speaker who has a role within a poem.
tuneless, harsh and unpleasant to listen to
a group of words that all relate to a specific topic
a musical instrument that is a bit like a guitar
Q3.Which is the best interpretation of "like a ghastly rapid river" taken from Poes 'The Haunted Palace'?
Q4.What might be the effect of neither the persona nor the king having a name in Poe's 'The Haunted Palace'?
Q5.If you were writing about nostalgia in 'The Haunted Palace", which quotation would you use?
Q6.The following words from the 'The Haunted Palace' belong to which semantic field: "Luminous...radiant...sparkling"?
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Analysing 'The Haunted Palace', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Analysing 'The Haunted Palace', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the Gothic poetry unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.