Do Not Make Grief Your God

Writing Workshop

Workshop Title: Grief

Step 1

Have your students finish the sentence. “Grief is a _______.” Tell them to finish the sentence with a noun (person, place, thing, idea). Give them a couple of minutes to write down their thoughts. Then share.

Step 2

Read “Do Not Make Grief Your God” by Mahogany L. Browne. Then discuss the extended metaphor in the poem. How did personifying Grief as a God help convey the poet’s message more effectively?

Step 3

Have your students talk about the different suggestions Brown provides to convey the different ways to cope with grief. Have them provide specific examples.

Step 4

Have your students write a poem in a style similar to Browne’s in which they compare grief to something else and write about the different ways one can best manage that grief.

Step 5

When the students are done, have them share their responses with one another.

The full presentation may be found HERE.

Analytical Lesson

Area of Focus: Figurative Language

Step 1

If your students are not familiar with the concept of “figurative language,” have them go through the introductory lesson.

Step 2

Read “Do Not Make Grief Your God” by Mahogany L. Browne. Then discuss the point of the poem and the various examples of figurative language the poet utilizes to help convey that point.

Step 3

Have the students open the document they will be working in and go over the instructions with them. The students will have to read through an article about grief and find examples of figurative language from the poem that reiterate the article’s suggestions.

Step 4

Give the students time to work on the assignment. They may work in groups if they wish.

Step 5

When the students are done, have them share their responses. Then share the exemplar essay.