Edgar Lee Masters’s 1915 masterpiece features a cast of the dead in the Midwest around the turn of the century. Nearly 250 characters representing several generations speak from beyond the grave, sharing their grudges, disappointments, secrets, motivations, triumphs, and insights. Masters debunks the myth of small town rectitude, revealing numerous ways humans ruin their own and others’ lives.

In this unit, students identify pivotal themes; explore poetic devices including imagery, figurative language, alliteration, repetition, allusion, and free verse; integrate reading, writing, thinking, and speaking skills; engage in creative and collaborative group activities; write analytically and creatively; research; interpret; and dramatize.