A complete A Level teaching pack for Donne’s The Ecstasy, guiding students through the poem’s physical–spiritual argument using structured, graded activities.

This Teaching Pack provides a full, disciplined route through John Donne’s The Ecstasy. It is designed for teachers who want structured, accurate, AO‑aligned material that moves cleanly from conceptual framing to close reading to independent synthesis — without generic commentary or filler. The pack follows the Connect → Activate → Demonstrate → Consolidate continuum and includes both paper‑based tasks and one digital option (Kami).

What the pack contains
Connect phase
Setting the scene with the poem’s opening images; recalling metaphysical conceits from earlier Donne poems; pre‑teaching key vocabulary (ecstasy, alchemy, Neoplatonism, Ptolemaic cosmology); first‑line prediction; and a philosophical starter on physical vs spiritual attraction.
These tasks establish the conceptual and contextual groundwork needed for accurate annotation.

Activate phase
Teacher‑modelled annotation of lines 1–20 (pillow/bank simile, eye‑beams, equal armies, sepulchral statues); Q&A on Renaissance belief systems; a clear three‑part structure overview; comparison of tension vs stillness in Donne’s imagery; and guided reading of the pivot at line 49.
This phase builds the interpretive scaffolding students need before independent work.

Demonstrate phase
Full independent annotation of the poem; conceit‑mapping (armies, alchemy, violet grafting, intelligences/spheres, blood/spirits); the Kami digital annotation activity (with full paper alternative); thought‑tracking flowchart; and extended essay writing.
These tasks move students from guided modelling to independent argument and synthesis.

Consolidate phase
Exit ticket on the body as the soul’s “book”; peer teaching; homework essay; self‑testing using handouts; and a research task on Renaissance beliefs about body and soul.
Designed to cement understanding and prepare students for AO1–AO5 assessment.

Student Handouts included

• Annotation Framework
• Essay Planning Sheet
• Creative Writing Framework
• Comparative Analysis Planner
• Research Investigation Sheet

Why teachers use this

• Clean, purposeful structure
• Accurate modelling of Donne’s metaphysical conceits and Renaissance contexts
• Clear progression from physical setting → spiritual communion → return to bodies
• AO‑aligned throughout
• Fully editable for your scheme