Understanding 'The Haunted Palace'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the meaning of ‘The Haunted Palace’.
Key learning points
- The poem is about a palace that was once beautiful and majestic but is now ruined and full of sorrow.
- The poem is a metaphor for the physical effects of depression on the human mind.
- The poem links to the Gothic through its setting and its portrayal of a decaying and haunted house.
Keywords
Radiant - radiant means full of light.
Dominion - dominion means you have control over something.
Glorious - glorious means wonderful and splendid.
Assail - to assail means to attack.
Discordant - discordant means harsh and out of tune.
Common misconception
Students may find the idea of house as a metaphor for the self challenging.
Draw their attention to their own ideas around houses.
Teacher tip
Visuals of different houses linked to mood would be a way of scaffolding the understanding of buildings as metaphors.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Edgar Allen 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.In the poem 'The Raven', who is Lenore?
Q2.What word refers to an image that represents or stands in the place of an idea or emotion?
Q3.What does the raven symbolise in Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'The Raven'?
Q4.In literature, what do we mean by 'setting'?
Q5.'The Raven' is a good example of the Gothic because it focuses on...
Q6.Select the best summary of 'The Raven'.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word means 'full of light'?
Q2.Which of these words are the best connotations of the title 'The Haunted Palace'?
Q3.In literature, what are buildings often used to represent?
Q4.Which of these statements best summarises the palace at the start of the poem 'The Haunted Palace'?
Q5.Which word is missing from this quotation from 'The Haunted Palace': "_______yellow, golden, glorious"?
Q6.Which word completes the following quotation from Poe's 'The Haunted Palace': "Evil things in robes of _______"?
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Understanding '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: Understanding '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.