Description
In this paired texts poetry analysis, students closely read and analyze two thought-provoking poems: “An Obstacle” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas. This lesson encourages students to examine how different poets explore struggle, resistance, and human response through language and form.
Students analyze each poem individually and then make meaningful comparisons between the two texts. Through guided analysis, they explore meaning, tone, figurative language, setting, imagery, and theme, building a deeper understanding of how poetic elements shape interpretation.
This resource includes the full text of “An Obstacle” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Due to copyright restrictions, the full text of “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas is not included, but the lesson is designed to work seamlessly with the poem from an approved classroom source.
Students complete a structured graphic organizer that supports close reading and comparison of both poems. An answer key is provided to support review and discussion. The lesson culminates in a constructed response task in which students write in paragraph form. The first response asks students to compare the themes of the two poems, while the second invites students to personally connect with the shared theme.
For flexibility and ease of use, this resource includes an editable Word document of the poetry analysis graphic organizer, along with a ready-to-use PDF version.
Perfect for middle school and high school ELA, this paired poetry lesson strengthens close reading, comparison skills, and analytical writing while helping students engage deeply with classic poetic texts.