Poe’s Poetry: Love, Loss, and Obsession – Annabel Lee & Lenore Lesson Bundle

Annabel Lee & Lenore Lesson Bundle (Grades 9–12)

Bring Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting world of love and grief to life with this two-lesson bundle featuring Annabel Lee and Lenore. Designed for high school ELA, these lessons give students the tools to deeply analyze Poe’s craft while keeping engagement high through annotation, collaboration, performance, and creative writing.

Students will:

• Annotate both poems for sound devices, imagery, and diction.
• Explore themes of love, grief, obsession, and remembrance through guided questions.
• Practice scansion and analyze Poe’s use of meter to shape mood.
• Participate in the Dramatic Refrain Challenge, bringing Poe’s language alive through performance.
• Write either an analytical paragraph/essay or a creative poem/stanza modeled after Poe’s style.
• Compare and contrast Annabel Lee and Lenore to see how Poe treats death and love across texts.

📂 What’s Included

• Lesson Plan Guides & Teacher Directions
• Student Handouts:
  • Guided Annotation Sheets
  • Sound Map
  • Scansion Quick-Guide
  • Theme & Tone Organizers
  • Poetic Devices Worksheets
  • Exit Tickets
• Assessments & Rubrics (analytical + creative options)
• Collaborative Group Activities (Dramatic Refrain Challenge)
• Extension Activities: Modern song/poem comparisons (Annabel Lee) + Compare/Contrast Essay or Creative Elegy (Lenore)
• Answer Keys & Teacher Notes
• PowerPoint Presentations to guide each lesson

📅 Suggested Pacing

• Day 1–2: Annabel Lee (sound, structure, imagery, theme)
• Day 3–4: Lenore (tone shifts, grief vs. transcendence, poetic devices)
• Day 5: Comparative Essay or Creative Writing Extension

This pacing makes it a ready-to-use 3–5 day mini-unit—perfect for a poetry unit, a gothic literature focus, or a fall/Halloween-themed ELA week.

🎯 Why Teachers Love It

• Differentiation built in (choice between analytical and creative assessments).
• Active learning (performance + group work keep students engaged).
• Timeless content (Poe is a staple in secondary classrooms).
• All resources included—no extra prep required.