Use this worksheet to help high school English students analyze poetry for the fall and back-to-school seasons: "Halloween in a Suburb" by H.P. Lovecraft (originally published in Weird Tales). An answer key is included. This poem uses surreal imagery, supernatural allusions, and personification to create a Gothic atmosphere and explore the unmatched power of Death. By engaging with this poetry activity, students will:
Identify specific examples of Gothic imagery.
Discern the intended effects of the author's word choices (e.g., "black maw" and "leprous").
Describe tone in context.
Explore poetic structure in context.
Apply knowledge of literary devices (e.g., alliteration, allusion, metaphor, personification, and more).
Make evidence-based inferences (e.g., why ghouls would be in mourning over "harvests that fly and fail").
Consider themes in context.
Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. (Alternatively, a Google option is available.)
More Weird Tales resources for the Halloween season are available:
Use this worksheet to help high school English students analyze poetry for the fall and back-to-school seasons: "Halloween in a Suburb" by H.P. Lovecraft (originally published in Weird Tales). An answer key is included. This poem uses surreal imagery, supernatural allusions, and personification to create a Gothic atmosphere and explore the unmatched power of Death. By engaging with this poetry activity, students will:
Identify specific examples of Gothic imagery.
Discern the intended effects of the author's word choices (e.g., "black maw" and "leprous").
Describe tone in context.
Explore poetic structure in context.
Apply knowledge of literary devices (e.g., alliteration, allusion, metaphor, personification, and more).
Make evidence-based inferences (e.g., why ghouls would be in mourning over "harvests that fly and fail").
Consider themes in context.
Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. (Alternatively, a Google option is available.)
More Weird Tales resources for the Halloween season are available:
Image 1 of 6
Image 2 of 6
Image 3 of 6
Image 4 of 6
Image 5 of 6
Image 6 of 6
