Ideal for units on Gothic poems dealing with themes of death, grief, and mortality (especially around Halloween), this poetry analysis worksheet helps high school readers interpret the elegy “Grave Chains” by A. Leslie, a ghostly piece originally published in Weird Tales that focuses on the narrator’s beliefs about death and supernatural experiences while mourning a loss. An answer key is included.

By engaging with this poetry activity, students will:

• Choose the most appropriate synonym for a word as it is used in the text.
• Infer the intended effects of words and phrases in context (e.g., uncharted).
• Identify a detail that aligns with the conventions of surreal poetry.
• Determine the greater significance of a given stanza.
• Analyze characterization (e.g., how the narrator does not conform to social norms).
• Apply knowledge of literary devices (e.g., assonance, metaphor, personification, and more).
• Explore themes in context.
• Articulate why the poet may have chosen “Grave Chains” as the title.
• Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence.