Romantic poetry by poet William Blake during the Industrial Revolution in England

Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.

Before your students begin to analyze the two poems in question, there are three key terms that they need to be made aware of:

  • An introduction to the Industrial Revolution, especially in England
  • An introduction to Romantic poetry
  • An introduction to William Blake, a prominent English poet in the genre of Romantic poetry

Use the following resources to introduce these key terms to your students.

Before you begin to analyze the two poems in question, get introduced to the key terms as follows:

  • Industrial Revolution: Use the following reading to know about the salient features of the Industrial Revolution, with an emphasis on its origins in England.
  • Romantic Poetry: Use M H Abram's brief introduction to Romantic poetry to understand the concerns that occupied the Romantic imagination, and to understand a timeline that shows the overlap between the Industrial Revolution and the Romantic age.
  • William Blake (1757-1827): was one of the most prominent English poets of the Romantic age. Use this reading, 'William Blake' by Poets.org, to get introduced to his life and times. This will enable you or your students to have a basic understanding of his experiences and persona before analyzing his poems.

William Blake (1757-1827)

Reading 1 'Industrial Revolution', especially in England

Reading 2 'Romantic Poetry'

Reading 3 'William Blake', a prominent English poet in the genre of Romantic poetry

Reading, "Industrial Revolution" By History.com; Reading, "Romanticism in M.H. Abrams' Glossary of Literary Terms" Provided by Hansjuerg Perino, University of Zurich; Reading, "William Blake" By Poets.org

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