English Literature

English Literature

Short story / Novel /

Drama / Poetry

Mr. / Girgis

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And now these three remain:

faith, hope and love. But the

greatest of these is love.1

Corinthians 13:13

free-clipart-important-notice-9 | Chippewas of the Thames

Humor

Girl Laughing Hysterically Stock Photo ...

We all learn by

experience but some

of us have to go to

summer school

Dear visitor,

Use the language selector above to go

through my whole site using any native

language you speak,

then you can enjoy my YouTube channel.

اختاراي لغة من لغات العالم / اللغة التى تريد تصفح موقعى

باستخدامها . استخدم المؤشر

الذى فى الاعلى

I register a video presentation in my

YouTube channel for each page of my site.

Next,use the other world site selector

above to go to the search engine site

or the social media site you like.

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منهج الانجليزى ثانوية عامة / و شكل و طريقة امتحا ن نظام التعليم

الجديد والتصحيح الكترونيا

What do we mean by literature?

John McRae (1994) distinguishes between literature

with a capital L - the classical texts

e.g. Shakespeare, Dickens - and literature with a small l,

which refers to popular fiction, fables and song lyrics.

The literature used in ELT classrooms today is no longer

restricted to canonical texts from certain countries e.g. UK,

USA, but includes the work of writers from a diverse range

of countries and cultures using different forms of English.

Literary texts can be studied in their original forms or in

simplified or abridged versions.

An increasing number of stories in English are

written specifically for learners of other languages.

Importance of teaching Literature:

1-Gets one acquainted with the world‟s great minds,

personalities and great teachers of all ages.

2-Aims at helping one understand oneself as well as

others.-

3-Provides opportunity for development of sensory,

effective, social, intellectual and religious senses or

faculties.

4-Provides vicarious experiences to those exposed to it

5-Trains the mind and equips the child for independent

work and unbiased judgment

i.e in analysis and criticism.

6-Helps one operate one‟s rationale facilities.

It in fact exposes one to healthy human

values and attitudes, character and behavior and to

understand the complex nature of human being

7-Helps one in analysis, interpreting and dealing with

the world of reality.

8-Helps in the acquisition of the language skills.

9-Imposes a high discipline on those who are exposed

to it.

10-Broadens the cultural needs and horizon of the child.

11-Exposes the child to the beauty and potentials of

language

12-Encourages attempts at creative writing which stems

from understanding a creative processes as well as

appreciating the principal of creativity.

Overview

English literature is divided into major eras like

Old English,

Middle English,

the Renaissance,

Neoclassical,

Romantic,

Victorian,

Modern, and

Postmodern,

Each defined by distinct cultural shifts, writing styles, and

key authors, spanning from Anglo-Saxon invasions to

contemporary works. These periods track the evolution

of the English language and literary traditions, from epic

poems to novels and experimental forms.

The major periods and

their approximate dates:

Old English (Anglo-Saxon) (c. 450–1066): Characterized by heroic poetry (like Beowulf), alliterative verse, and religious themes, reflecting Germanic tribal culture.

Middle English (c. 1066–1500): Emerged after the Norman Conquest, blending Old English with French; features works by Chaucer, focusing on romance, allegory, and religious tales.

The Renaissance (c. 1500–1660): A period of rebirth in arts and sciences, including the Elizabethan Age (Shakespeare, Spenser) and Jacobean Age, marked by drama, poetry, and humanism.

Neoclassical Period (c. 1660–1785): Also known as the Restoration and the Enlightenment; emphasized reason, order, and classical forms, with satire and wit (Dryden, Pope, Swift).

Romantic Period (c. 1785–1832): Reacted against Neoclassicism, focusing on emotion, nature, individualism, and the sublime (Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Keats).

Victorian Period (c. 1832–1901): The era of the novel, exploring social issues, industrialization, and morality (Dickens, Austen, Brontë sisters).
Modernism (c. 1914–1945): Broke from traditional forms, reflecting fragmentation, disillusionment after WWI, and exploring new consciousness (Woolf, Joyce, Eliot).

Postmodernism (c. 1945–Present): Questions grand narratives, uses irony, pastiche, and metafiction, blending genres (Beckett, Pynchon, Atwood).

Types of literary texts:

1 Short stories

2 Poems

3 Novels

4 Plays

5 Song Lyrics.

1-Teaching a Short Story

Best Short Stories - Apps on Google Play

( Beginning / Middle / End )

Defining a Short Story

A short story is a piece of brief literature, usually

written in narrative prose. Short stories can be

written in a variety of formats, but the most typical

features a small cast of characters with names

and focuses on a single, self-contained incident.

Short stories make use of a plot and other normal

literary components, just to a lesser and shorter

degree than a novel. They also vary in length.

Types of Short Stories

Now that we know generally what a short story is,

we can discuss the different types of short stories.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, since

short stories come in a wide variety of lengths and

styles. But this is a list of the most common.

Anecdote

An anecdote is a short account of something

interesting and amusing, which usually tells

a story about a real person and/or incident.

Often, anecdotes are used to illustrate or

support a point in an essay, article, or chapter.

They are very short, but have no specific limits.

“In [Ralph Waldo] Emerson’s later years his

memory began increasingly to fail. He used to

refer to it as his ‘naughty memory’ when it let

him down. He would forget the names of things,

and have to refer to them in a circumlocutory

way, saying, for instance, ‘the implement that

cultivates the soil’ for plow.

Worse, he could not remember people’s names.

At Longfellow’s funeral, he remarked to a friend,

‘That gentleman has a sweet, beautiful soul,

but I have entirely forgotten his name.’

Perhaps most touching was his term for

umbrella–‘the thing that strangers take away.'”

Drabble

A drabble is an exceptionally short piece of fiction,

usually of exactly 100 words in length –

not including the title. The purpose of a drabble is

extreme brevity and to test an author’s skill at

expressing himself/herself meaningfully and

interestingly in a very confined space.

A drabble example, by the lovely Matty, is available

over at Sugar and Blood: Light as a Feather.

In fact, Matty has many drabble stories!

Fable

A fable is a succinct story featuring anthropomorphic

creatures (usually animals, but also mythical

creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces

of nature) to tell a story with a moral.

Often the moral is explicitly told at the end.

A fable is similar to a parable, but differs most

in the fact that fables use animals to tell a story

but parables do not.

Feghoot

A feghoot is an interesting short story type also known

as a story pun or a poetic story joke. It is a humorous

piece ending in an atrocious pun. It can be very short,

only long enough to sufficiently illustrate the context

of the piece enough to lead up to the pun.

I found an interesting blog of all Feghoots.

This one is a good example and totally groan-

worthy as the format requires: The Buck of the Draw.

Flash Fiction

Flash fiction refers to an extremely short piece

of literature. It has no widely accepted length,

but has a debated cap of between 300 and

1000 words.

I found a whole webpage of flash fiction, called

Flash Fiction Online. It has a small section of

fantasy and I thought this one a good example

to share: One Last Night at the Carnival Before the Stars Go Out.

Frame Story

A frame story is also known as a frame tale or a

nested narrative. It is a literary technique of

placing a story within a story, for the purpose of

introducing or setting the stage for a main

narrative or a series of short stories.

A few good example of a frame story would be a

flashback within a larger piece or a quest within

a larger game environment.

Mini-saga

A mini-saga is a short story told in exactly 50 words.

It is a test in brevity – about saying a lot with a little.

I found a fascinating guide. It has a few examples

and the bottom is for filling in with your exact 50 words.

There was another page with good advice and a

progressive piece as an example.

Story Sequence

A story sequence, also called a short story cycle or

a composite novel, is a group of short stories that

work together to form a longer piece, while still

functioning as complete short stories on their own.

It would be hard to link to an example, but the best

I can think of are several of the works of Isaac

Asimov – the Foundation books and I, Robot

(the original book, NOT the story portrayed in the

Will Smith movie) in particular. (the original book,

NOT the story portrayed in the Will Smith movie)

in particular.

They are not a novel in the traditional sense,

but instead a collection of short stories in

chronological order that both tell small stories

and one larger one.

Sketch Story

A sketch story is a shorter than average piece

containing little or no plot. It can be merely a

description of a character or a location.

Character sketches are common, and a good

way to build a character that will eventually be

part of a longer piece.

Vignette

A vignette is a short, impressionistic piece that focuses

on a single scene, character, idea, setting, or object.

There is little emphasis on adhering to conventional

theatrical or literary structure, or story development.

It can be a stand-alone piece or part of a larger work.

From grammar.about.com’s entry for the vignette ,

an example vignette by E.B. White:

“The strong streak of insanity in railroads, which

accounts for a child’s instinctive feeling for them

and for a man’s unashamed devotion to them, is

congenital; there seems to be no reason to fear

that any disturbing improvement in the railroads’

condition will set in.

Lying at peace but awake in a Pullman berth all one

hot night recently, we followed with dreamy

satisfaction the familiar symphony of the cars–the

diner departing (furioso) at midnight, the long, fever-

laden silences between runs, the timeless gossip of

rail and wheel during the runs, the crescendos and

diminuendos, the piffling poop-pooping of the diesel’s

horn.

How to teach a short story:

1-Click here to go to( A short story lesson plan ).

2. Create a Storyboard

Storyboarding is a wonderful way to integrate art with

story retelling. To make your own storyboard, simply

list the elements of basic story structure you want to

focus on (e.g., beginning, middle, and end) on a page

with a large empty box next to each element. In each

box, have students draw a scene from a text you’ve

read recently that illustrates that element.

3-Use the “SWBST” Strategy

The “Somebody Wanted But So Then” exercise

provides a framework for summarizing a story by

identifying and describing key story elements.

Using a table like the one below, have students fill

in each box with a brief summary from the story.

For older students, use more elements and increase

the level of detail required for each element.

4-Sample Story Map Card

Name _____________________ Part ________

Setting:

Characters:

Time:

Place:

Problem:

Events:

Resolution:

Acting the scenes or playing the roles.

Feedback

5. Build Out Story Maps

A story map is another visual tool that helps students

summarize story structure to improve reading

comprehension. Using a text you’ve studied, have

your students describe selected story

components.

This can be done as a class, in small groups, or

individually. Differentiate your maps by analyzing

simpler or more complex structure elements.

6. Teach Story Elements with

“Pick a Card”

Write the story elements you’ve been studying on

cards. Break students up into small groups or pairs

and have each student pick a card without revealing

its element. One at a time, each student reads a

passage from a story you’ve studied that illustrates

the element while the other students try to identify

what’s on the card.

7. Plot the Story Structure Using a Graph

For older students, use a story graph to

chart the story arc of plot sub-elements such as

exposition, rising action, conflict, falling action,

climax, and resolution.

On the x axis, list the desired story elements

chronologically. On the y axis, indicate excitement

level from low at the bottom to high at the top.

Have your students plot the points for each story

element to reveal the story arc.

2-Teaching a novel

Teaching Novels to Middle & High School Students - The Literary Maven

Types of novels

Mysteries.

Romance.

Thrillers.

Science Fiction.

Fantasy.

Historical Fiction.

The elements of a novel

Plot

Setting: ...

Characters: ...

Dialogue

Point of View: ...

Theme: ...

Conflict:

Symbolism: ...

Morals

Perspective

Genre.

Goal.

Inner Journey.

Tone or Audience experience.

Pulling it all together

How to teach a novel in the classroom:

2-Novel Task Cards

1-Have students get into groups and give each

student the Task Station Record Sheet.

Students record their responses and findings

at each display on the record sheet.

Alternatively, have students record their findings

and responses in their notebooks or on their

own paper.

2-Give students 5-10 minutes at each “station.

” Keep time for each rotation. Give students a

one-minute warning for the next rotation and

then announce when it’s time to rotate.

3-After groups have visited all stations, students

can share their findings with the whole class and

turn in their record sheets for assessment.

Consider also having students select one of the

task stations to write about either formally or

informally.

4-Find this assignment with the Task Cards as part

of The Ultimate.

3-Novel Theme Park Project

For this project, students work in a group to design a

theme park based upon the literary elements of a

selected novel. The various aspects of the park from

the layout to the rides to the characters should be

inspired by the novel.

Students should consider the

following questions:

What are the major themes of the novel?

How can than these themes be represented

in a theme park?

What are the major plot points of the novel?

How can these be represented by the “lands”

in the theme park?

Who are the major characters of the novel?

How can these characters inspire theme park

characters and rides?

What is the setting of the novel?

How can this setting inspire the architecture

of the park?

How can the merchandise sold in the theme park

relate to the novel?

For the Theme Park Novel Project, students

will create:

Theme Park Map

Characters

Shows

Merchandise

After brainstorming the various aspects of their

novel theme parks, students will present their

theme parks to the class. Find the Theme Park

Tragedy

Just from the word tragedy, you can assume

that the ending will be sad. But there is more to a

tragedy than a play with no happy ending.

You can tell if a play is a tragedy if it includes:

A protagonist with a tragic flaw

Circumstances that quickly get out of control

and not in a funny way

Darker themes than a melodrama, such as human

suffering, hatred, or poverty

Features the downfall of a previously heroic or

well-liked character

An irredeemable ending that results in one or

more characters’ deaths

Reaches a tragic catharsis

4-Book Headlines

The purpose of a headline is to simultaneously

report key information while grabbing the attention

of the reader. A good headline tells what the

article is about and makes you want to read it.

Therefore, the words within a headline must be

carefully and purposefully chosen in order to

serve two purposes: report and persuade.

For this activity, students write three headlines

for a pre-selected book that reveal key elements

such as plot, character, and setting.

They should try to find unique angles into the

story that would catch attention while still being

relevant to the story.

This is also a great lesson to pair with rhetorical

devices. Students should try using rhetorical

strategies such as alliteration, puns, and repetition

to make each headline catch more attention!

Students then explain how the headlines connect

to the book and how they grab attention.

5-Character Instagram

Instagram is a popular social media platform that allows

users to create magazine-like layouts of images, leave

comments, and use hashtags to target key concepts

and ideas from posts. But— you probably already knew

that! For this assignment, students create a fictitious

Instagram account for a book character of their choice.

Students should consider the following questions:

What kind of content would this character post?

How would this character explain each post?

What kind of language would this character use?

Who would this character follow on Instagram?

Who would follow this character on Instagram?

What kind of comments would people leave on

this character’s posts?

How would this character comment on other posts?

Who is friends with this character?

Who is related to this character?

What are key events and issues from the story

that might appear on this character’s

Instagram feed?

The character’s Instagram page should include

the following elements:

The character’s profile

A profile pic of the character

2-3 Insta Story Highlight Covers (images, text, etc.)

3+ posts from the character

Each post must include a relevant caption that relates

to the story

Each post must contain 2-3 relevant comments

from followers

An explanation of how the IG account connects to

the book (typed & turned in separately)

3-Teaching a Play

The elements of a play

Author, Atmosphere,Plot / Action, Character, Thought,

Diction, Language (Dramatic dialogue), Music, Rhythm

and Spectacle.

Top 10 American Playwrights

Arthur Miller. Death of a Salesman, The Crucible.

Tennessee Williams. A Street Car Named Desire,

The Glass Menagerie.

Eugene O'Neill. Long Day's Journey into Night,

The Iceman Cometh.

Edward Albee. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf,

The Zoo Story.

Sam Shepard. Buried Child, Fool for Love.

Thornton Wilder. ...

Neil Simon. ...

David Mamet.

Types of Drama

Drama in literature refers to the performance of

written dialogue and stage action. It’s a literary

genre that allows actors to act out a writer’s

words directly to an audience. But there’s more

than one type of literary genre and chances are,

you’ve seen examples of them all. Here are some

explanations and examples of different types of

drama in literature

Comedy

Comedies are usually humorous plays. But being

funny isn’t the only way to define a comedy!

The elements of a comedy include:

Lighthearted tone

Clever wordplay or turns of phrase

Serious topics addressed in a humorous way

Comical misunderstandings

Happy ending

Silly, offbeat characters

Often ends with a wedding, especially in

romantic comedies

One of the most famous examples of a comedy

is William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

Beatrice and Benedick transition from foes to

lovers with clever banter and more than a few

silly misunderstandings. And, like all proper

Shakespearean comedies, it ends with a wedding!

Musical Drama

It’s tempting to put opera and musical drama into the

same category. However, their production proves

that there are significant differences between the

two. But how can you tell a musical drama apart

from an opera? Use this checklist:

Periods of standard story-line interrupted by songs

Characters often singing in unison to express feelings.

Songs as plot-changing devices

Dramatic or comedic story lines

Catchy, distinctive musical score

Often lots of singing and dancing

Farce

A farce is a type of broad comedy. It depends less

on a narrative story-line and more on physical

humor, sight gags, silly jokes. Here are the parts

of a farcical comedy:

Exaggerated humor

Slapstick gags

Nonsensical story-line

probable events

One or two settings

Humor is often crude and inappropriate

Opera

Operas are dramas in which the characters sing each

line rather than speaking. The entire production is

set to a musical score. You can tell you’re watching

an opera if it includes these attributes:

Musical soliloquies known as arias

Plot-driving passages that can be non-melodic

A (text) set to a musical score

Subject matter that is tragic, comic, or melodramatic

Can incorporate an element of dance, but typically

relies on singing performances

Elaborate sets, costume design, and production

One of the most famous operas of all time is

Giacomo Puccini’s.

It tells the tragic story of Rodolfo, Mimi, and the

world of French Bohemia. Set to one of opera’s

most memorable scores, the story reveals itself

over the course of a year.

Melodrama

When you hear drama, you probably think of melodrama .

Melodramas tell a serious story in serious ways.

Not sure if a drama is a melodrama?

Check if it includes the following:

Character tropes such as heroes, heroines, villains,

mentors, etc.

Sweeping stories of romance or serious topics

Larger-than-life plots and circumstances (or very

small stories told in big ways)

Exaggerated character reactions

Clear literary themes

Flawed characters who must overcome their

faults in order to reach their resolution

Ending that is sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy

Consider Henrik Ibsen’s A doll's house when referring

to a melodrama. Nora’s over-the-top reactions place

the play right into the definition of melodrama.

The ending is a mix of both happiness and hope

for Nora, and sadness and despair for Torvald.

Tragedy

Just from the word tragedy, you can assume that

the ending will be sad. But there is more to a

tragedy than a play with no happy

ending. You can tell if a play is a tragedy if it includes:

A protagonist with a tragic flaw

Circumstances that quickly get out of control –

and not in a funny way

Darker themes than a melodrama, such as

human suffering, hatred, or poverty

Features the downfall of a previously heroic or

well-liked character

An irredeemable ending that results in one or more

characters’ deaths

Reaches a tragic catharsis

Tragicomedy

When you combine the elements of a comedy

and a tragedy, you get a tragicomedy!

Tragicomedies are more complex than a drama

with a few jokes, or a comedy with a serious scene.

Some ways to tell if you’re watching a tragicomedy

are if it has:

A serious story-line told in a humorous, sardonic,

or snide way

Tragically flawed characters whose actions don’t

result in death

An ambiguous theme

Broad characters who act in classically comical ways

Neither a happy nor a comic ending.

How to teach a play in the classroom:

Task 1

Discussion about the age, background, author, title

Task 2

Discussion to elicit the theme of the play

Task 3

Eliciting the meaning of the new vocabulary

Task 4

Extensive reading for skimming the main ideas

Intensive reading for scanning the specific details

Task 5

Devising a plot for a play:

Divide the students up into groups. Groups can

number between three to five students.

One set of task cards is needed for every three

groups with one set as a spare.

Take the Character cards and, without showing

them the words on the back, ask each group

to pick two cards.

Do the same with the Emotion cards and

Prop cards, making sure that a different

group picks first every time.

Each group should end up with:two

Character cards, two Emotion cards o

and two Prop cards.

Tell the groups to think of a simple plot for a

play that uses all their different cards.

They can add in other characters, emotions

and props, but they must include the ones that

they already have. If a group gets stuck, they

can exchange three cards with the ones in

the spare set.

When the groups have finished, ask a

spokesperson from each group to tell

the whole class which cards their group

picked and how they turned them into a story.

Task 6

Summary plot-lines

Here are 3 examples for 3 plays:

Macbeth:

Macbeth is a Scottish lord who longs to be king.

With his wife’s encouragement, he kills the king

with a dagger and crowns himself king of Scotland.

However he must then kill other people to keep

the crown. One of them starts to haunt him, as

a ghost. His wife is overcome with guilt and dies

and Macbeth is eventually killed in battle.

Romeo and Juliet:

Romeo and Juliet are two young lovers, but their

families are at war. When Juliet is told by her family

that she must marry someone else, a priest gives

her a sleeping potion that will make it look as if

she is dead.

The priest tries to let Romeo know about the plan,

but does not manage to tell him in time. Romeo

thinks Juliet is dead and kills himself with poison.

When Juliet wakes up, and finds Romeo dead,

she commits suicide with his dagger.

Merchant of Venice:

A young man borrows a bag of gold from a

moneylender, promising that, if he cannot pay

him back, he will give the moneylender a pound

of his flesh. When he cannot pay, the moneylender

takes the young man to court.

A young lady disguises herself as a lawyer in order

to help the young man. She tells the banker he can

have a pound of flesh, as long as he doesn’t spill

a drop of blood.

Task 7

Extension activity

Ask the students if they can write the first scene

of their play in groups.

Homework

Ask the students to write a review of a film or a play

that they have seen recently.

4-Teaching Poetry

Elements of Poetry

Author, Atmosphere.

POETRY- has an overall central theme or idea

within each poem

Images - the mental pictures the poet creates

through language

Diction - the selection of specific words

Form - the arrangement of words, lines, verses,

rhymes, and other features.

Cadence - A rhythmic change in the inflection of

sounds from words being spoken. Sometimes referred

to the flow of words.

Couplet - two lines of verse that rhyme at the end

and are thought as one unit

Meter - A rhythm that continuously repeats a

single basic pattern.

Rhyme - Words that end with similar sounds.

Usually at the end of a line of the poem.

Rhyming - Two lines of a poem together with the

same rhythm

Rhythm - A pattern created with sounds: hard -

soft, long - short, bouncy, quiet - loud, weak - strong .

Stanza - A part of a poem with similar rhythm and

rhyme that will usually repeat later in the poem.

Verse - A line of a poem, or a group of lines within

a long poem.

Elements of a poem:

Stanzas:

Stanzas are a series of lines grouped together and

separated by an empty line from other stanzas.

They are the equivalent of a paragraph in an essay.

One way to identify a stanza is to count the number

of lines. Thus:

couplet (2 lines)

tercet (3 lines)

quatrain (4 lines)

cinquain (5 lines)

sestet (6 lines) (sometimes it's called a sexain)

septet (7 lines)

octave (8 lines)

Form:

A poem may or may not have a specific number

of lines, rhyme scheme and/or metrical pattern,

but it can still be labeled according to its form or style.

A poem's form is its structure: elements like its line

lengths and meters, stanza lengths, rhyme schemes

(if any) and systems of repetition. A poem's form

refers to its structure: elements like its line lengths

and meters, stanza lengths, rhyme schemes (if any)

and systems of repetition..

Types of poems:

1. Lyric Poetry:

It is any poem with one speaker (not necessarily

the poet) who expresses strong thoughts and

feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones,

are lyric poems.

2. Narrative Poem:

It is a poem that tells a story; its structure resembles

the plot line of a story [i.e. the introduction of conflict

and characters, rising action, climax and the

denouement.

3. Descriptive Poem:

It is a poem that describes the world that surrounds

the speaker. It uses elaborate imagery and adjectives.

While emotional, it is more "outward-focused" than

lyric poetry, which is more personal and introspective.

Poems sub-types :

Ode:

It is usually a lyric poem of moderate length,

with a serious subject, an elevated style, and

an elaborate stanza pattern,

An ode is a short lyric poem that praises an

individual, an idea, or an event. In ancient

Greece, odes were originally accompanied by music

—in fact, the word “ode” comes from the Greek

word aeidein, which means to sing or to chant.

Odes are often ceremonial, and formal in tone..

Elegy:

It is a lyric poem that mourns the dead. [It's not to

be confused with a eulogy.]It has no set metric or

stanzaic pattern, but it usually begins by reminiscing

about the dead person, then laments the reason

for the death, and then resolves the grief by

concluding that death leads to immortality.

It often uses "apostrophe" (calling out to the dead

person) as a literary technique. It can have a fairly

formal style, and sound similar to an ode.

Sonnet:

It is a lyric poem consisting of 14 lines and, in the

English version, is usually written in iambic

pentameter.

There are two basic kinds of sonnets: the Italian

(or Petrarchan) sonnet and the Shakespearean

(or Elizabethan/English) sonnet.

The Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after

Petrarch, an Italian Renaissance poet.

The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave

(eight lines) and a sestet

(six lines). The Shakespearean sonnet consists

of three quatrains (four lines each) and a

concluding couplet (two lines). The Petrarchan

sonnet tends to divide the thought into two parts

(argument and conclusion); the Shakespearean,

into four (the final couplet is the summary).

Ballad:

It is a narrative poem that has a musical rhythm

and can be sung. A ballad is usually organized

into quatrains or cinquains, has a simple rhythm

structure, and tells the tales of ordinary people.

Epic:

It is a long narrative poem in elevated style

recounting the deeds of a legendary or

historical hero.

Qualities of an Epic Poem:

narrative poem of great scope; dealing with the

founding of a nation or some other heroic theme

requires a dignified theme requires an organic

unity requires orderly progress of the action

always has a heroic figure or figures involves

supernatural forces written in deliberately

ceremonial style

10 Famous Poets and Poems:

Edgar Allen Poe

Birthplace: Boston

Famous poem: ”The Raven”

Famous quote: ”I have great faith in fools —

self-confidence my friends call it.”

William Shakespeare

Birthplace: Stratford-upon-Avon, England

Famous poem: ”Sonnet XVIII” (Shall I compare

thee to a summer’s day?)

Famous quote: ”All the world’s a stage, and

all the men and women merely players: they

have their exits and their entrances; and one

man in his time plays many parts. His acts

being seven ages.”

Maya Angelou

Birthplace: St. Louis

Famous poem: ”On the Pulse of Morning”

Emily Dickinson

Birthplace: Amherst, Massachusetts

Famous poem: “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”

Famous quote: “Hope is the thing with feathers

that perches in the soul — and sings the tunes

without the words — and never stops at all.”

Shel Silverstein

Birthplace: Chicago

Famous poem: “Where the Sidewalk Ends”

Famous quote: ”What I do is good. I wouldn’t

let it out if I didn’t think it was.”

Robert Frost

Birthplace: San Francisco

Famous poem: “The Road Not Taken”

Famous quote: “The woods are lovely, dark

and deep. But I have promises to keep, and

miles to go before I sleep.”

Pablo Neruda

Birthplace: Parral, Chile

Famous poem: “I Do Not Love You Except

Because I Love You”

Famous quote: “To feel the love of people whom

we love is a fire that feeds our life.”

E. E. Cummings

Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Famous poem: “i carry your heart with me”

Famous quote: “It takes courage to grow up

and become who you really are.”

Langston Hughes

Birthplace: Joplin, Missouri

Famous poem: “I Too Sing America”

Famous quote: “Hold fast to dreams for if

dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that

cannot fly.”

Walt Whitman

Birthplace: Long Island, New York

Famous poem: “I Hear America Singing”

Famous quote: “Either define the moment or

the moment will define you.”

How to teach poetry:

Teaching English poetry works best when

students experience it before analyzing it.

Try this sequence:

Start with a listening or speaking activity

Read the poem aloud—or play a recording.

Ask students what they noticed, felt, or pictured.

Don’t begin with difficult terminology.

Make the language accessible

Briefly explain unfamiliar words, references,

or older expressions. Let students use context

clues and discuss possible meanings before

giving explanations.

Read it again for sound and shape

Explore rhythm, rhyme, repetition, pauses, and

line breaks. Have students read aloud in pairs

or try different ways of speaking the poem.

Build interpretation through questions

Ask open questions such as:

Who might be speaking

What images stand out?

What changes from the beginning to the end?

Which words create a particular mood?

What could the poem mean—and

what evidence supports that idea?

Introduce poetic devices through examples

Teach metaphor, simile, imagery, personification,

and other terms when students encounter them.

Connect each device to its effect rather than treating

it as a vocabulary quiz.

Invite personal and creative responses

Students might draw an image from the poem,

perform it, write a short imitation, or describe how

it connects to their experience. Make clear that

interpretations can differ when supported by the text.

Assess understanding flexibly

Use discussion, annotations, a short reflection,

or a creative response—not only formal essays.

Novel

International school

A lesson Plan

Setting:

International school in CairoGrade: 12 (adaptable)

Duration:

60 minutes

Text:

A chapter from the class novel

Focus:

Character, conflict, and how setting shapes the story

Learning objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Summarize the chapter using key events.
Support an interpretation of a character with evidence from the text.
Explain how the setting influences mood or events.

Materials

Copies of the chapter, board or projector, sticky notes, and a short exit ticket.

Lesson sequence

1. Warm-up — 5 minutes

Display: Can where you live change the choices you make?

Students write a quick response, then share with a partner.

2. Recap and vocabulary — 8 minutesIn pairs,

students list three important events from the previous chapter.

Introduce or review 3–5 words from today’s chapter, using context clues where possible.

3. First reading — 12 minutes

Read a key passage aloud, then give students time to read the rest independently or in pairs. Ask them to mark:

! for a surprising moment
? for a confusing moment
C for a clue about a character

4. Small-group investigation — 15 minutes

Groups discuss and record:

What does the main character want in this chapter?
What gets in the way?
Which line best reveals the character’s feelings or personality?
How does the setting affect the scene?

Students should include a quotation or page reference in their answers.

5. Whole-class discussion — 12 minutes

Invite groups to share one claim and its evidence. Prompt students to build on or respectfully challenge ideas: “I agree because…”, “Another interpretation could be…”

6. Exit ticket — 8 minutesStudents complete:

One-sentence summary of the chapter.
One claim about a character, supported by a detail.
One question they still have.

Differentiation

Language support:

Provide a vocabulary bank, sentence starters, and partner reading.

Extension:

Ask students to compare the chapter’s conflict with an earlier one or analyze a change in narrative perspective.

Accessibility:

Offer an audio reading or a shortened passage with the same key ideas.

Assessment
Use group responses and exit tickets to check comprehension, use of textual evidence, and understanding of character and setting.