Although the work Americans do has changed over time, the plight of the American worker has largely remained the same. Facilitate a class discussion aboutAmerican workers using Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith" and Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," as well as pictures related to the theme. Readers annotate the poems and compare their content in preparation for an essay comparing and contrasting their presentation of the theme.

Concepts

poetry analysis, poetry, american culture, compare and contrast essays

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Use a nonfiction article about American workers as an additional resource to compare and contrast

Classroom Considerations

• Print or display copies of poems for reference during lesson
• Takes one long class period or two shorter ones to complete

Pros

• Connects classic poems with modern-day issues
• Includes a series of post-reading questions to promote critical thinking

Cons

• Lacks a rubric or specific guidelines for essay

Common Core

RL.9-10.1 RL.9-10.2 RL.9-10.4 RL.9-10.5 RL.11-12.1 RL.11-12.2 RL.11-12.4 RL.11-12.5