Activity Overview
Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the poem, and support their choices with details from the text.
As a classroom activity, students can track the rich thematic and symbolic writing Dickinson uses in her poetry. In the example storyboard above, the creator has focused on the theme of “Mortality vs. Immortality” in the poem.
Mortality vs. Immortality
Each line of the poem contains aspects of both life and death. Because of the repetition of these ideas using word choice, tone, and attitude, it is clear that this is the major theme of the poem.
Evidence of Mortality and Immortality are seen throughout the poem. The speaker's entire outlook on death and the mention of “Immortality” in the first stanza lead to the idea that she believes in an afterlife. Life after death is a sort of immortality, though not in the sense many might desire. In the last stanza, she uses the word “Eternity” to describe what she has just come to understand. She remains calm and has a ponderous tone as she recalls the ride she just took after realizing that she is actually deceased.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death". Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify the theme(s) from "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" you wish to include and replace the "Theme 1" text.
- Create an image for the example(s) that represents this theme.
- Write a description of each of the examples.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Needs Improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identification of Theme(s), Symbol(s), and/or Motif(s) | All themes are correctly identified as important recurring topics or messages in the story. Symbols are correctly identified as objects that represent something else at a higher level in the story. Motifs are correctly identified as important recurring features or ideas in the story. | Most themes are correctly identified, but others are missing or incomplete. Most symbols are correctly identified, but some objects are missing or incomplete. Some motifs are correctly identified, but others are missing or incomplete. | Most themes are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. Most symbols are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. Most motifs are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. | No themes, symbols, or motifs are correctly identified. |
| Examples and Descriptions | Quotes and examples are accurate to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) that are being identified. Descriptions accurately explain the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) and highlight their significance to the story. | Most quotes and examples are accurate to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motifs that are being identified. Descriptions mostly accurately explain the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s), and highlight their significance to the story. | Most quotes and examples are minimal, incorrect, or unrelated to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) that are being identified. Descriptions contain inaccuracies in their explanations, or do not highlight their significance to the story. | Examples and descriptions are missing or too minimal to score. |
| Depiction | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are accurate to the story and reflect time, effort, thought, and care with regard to placement and creation of the scenes. | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are mostly accurate to the story. They reflect time and effort put into placement and creation of the scenes. | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are inaccurate to the story. The depictions may be rushed or show minimal effort, time, and care put into placement and creation of the scenes. | Most depictions are missing too many elements or are too minimal to score. Little time or effort has been put into placement and creation of the scenes. |
| English Conventions | There are no errors in spelling, grammar, or mechanics throughout the storyboard. All writing portions reflect careful proofreading and accuracy to the story. | There are a few errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics throughout the storyboard. All writing portions show accuracy to the story and some proofreading. | There are several errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics throughout the storyboard. Most writing portions do not reflect proofreading or accuracy to the story. | Errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics in writing portions of the storyboard seriously interfere with communication. |
How To Use Textual Evidence To Support Analysis of Themes
Determine Possible Themes
Ask students to identify probable themes based on their initial reactions to the text before digging into the analysis. Ask them to consider reoccurring themes or messages. Students can list down these themes and their insights on them for discussion later.
Read the Text Carefully
Teach the students how to carefully read the text. Encourage them to highlight or underline sentences that seem to be important to the topics. Talk about how important it is to pay attention to details. Students can also annotate their analysis while reading and take notes during the discussion.
Give Textual Evidence Definition
Inform students that when you use textual evidence, you mean particular quotes or passages from the book that back up their analysis of the topics. Both straight quotations and paraphrased comments are acceptable. Students can also start by providing the page number and line number of the concerned text. Provide students with some trick questions and ask them to provide answers and back them up with facts from the text.
Discuss the Evidence in Detail
Encourage your students to examine the supporting literature they have obtained. "What does this quote reveal about the theme?" is a good example of a question to ask. and "How does it advance our knowledge of the theme?" Students can break down this evidence and get a deeper understanding of the author's perspective.
Link the Theme to the Evidence
Encourage the students to make a connection between the textual evidence they have gathered and the text's main idea. Remind the students to work on how these quotes work together to support their take on the theme.
Frequently Asked Questions About Themes, Symbols, and Motifs in “Because I Could Not Stop For Death”
What do "Because I Could Not Stop For Death"'s major themes entail?
Mortality, Immortality, time passing, accepting death, and the cyclical cycle of life and death are some of the poem's key themes. Students can reflect on these themes for their analysis of the poem.
How does the poem's idea of mortality come to life?
The speaker's journey with Death, a representation of the unavoidable end of life, is replete with the concept of mortality. The poem investigates the significance of death in the human experience. It also tells the readers about the speaker's experience with death and uses calm and serene imagery to represent the concept of life and death.
What symbolic meaning does the poem's sundown have?
The sun setting is a metaphor for the conclusion of a day or the end of existence. It foreshadows the speaker's arrival at her ultimate resting place and symbolizes the last days of her life.
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