Introduce your students to W.B. Yeats’ timeless poem “The Song of Wandering Aengus” with this 17-page no-prep poetry unit for middle and high school ELA. This resource blends literary analysis, historical context, and creative writing to help students explore Yeats’ imagery, symbolism, and themes of longing and transformation. Perfect for teaching poetry analysis while inspiring original student writing.

Why Teachers Love It

• Saves prep time with ready-to-use lessons and assessments
• Builds poetry analysis skills (alliteration, symbolism, imagery)
• Integrates history and literary context for deeper understanding
• Engages students with creative writing inspired by Yeats’ style
• Flexible resource for middle or high school classrooms
• Works in both print and digital formats for distance or in-person learning
• Answer key included for easy grading

What’s Inside

• Biography of W.B. Yeats
• Historical context notes
• Vocabulary and poetry terms related to the poem
• Comprehension check questions
• Activity on alliteration and symbolism
• Activity on “showing, not telling” in writing
• Creative writing: compose a personal “Longing” poem
• Multiple-choice quiz on the poem and poetry terms
• Complete answer key
• Printable and digital versions

Why It Works
This resource makes Yeats’ poetry approachable and meaningful by combining historical context, vocabulary support, and structured analysis activities. Students don’t just study the poem’s imagery and symbolism—they apply these concepts by creating their own original poetry. This blend of analysis and creativity helps students connect personally to Yeats’ themes while strengthening essential ELA skills.

Please Note: Poem text not included