Connecting Romanticism to Modern Politics: An Innovative Assignment for Literature Students

We're excited to share an innovative new assignment developed by our esteemed colleague, Dr. Daniel Block, Chair of the English Department at King School. This creative project, titled "Byronic vibes assignment: Performing politics as America votes for president," offers a fresh approach to studying Romantic literature while engaging with contemporary political discourse.

Taking some of its inspiration from the Uncloseting Byron project, an outreach initiative associated with the 2024 Curran Symposium at New York University, Dr. Block's assignment encourages students to bridge the gap between Lord Byron's works and current events and acts as a springboard for this thought-provoking exercise.

The assignment asks students to select lines from Lord Byron's plays and use them to comment on the 2024 American presidential election or their personal experiences during this politically charged time. Students are encouraged to express their "Byronic riff, hot take, or vibe check" through various creative mediums, including social media-style posts, artwork, memes, or videos.

This approach not only makes Romantic literature more accessible and relevant to today's students but also promotes critical thinking about the enduring themes in Byron's work and their application to modern political discourse. It's an excellent example of how classical literature can be a lens through which to view and analyze contemporary issues.

For educators looking to inspire their students to draw connections between Romantic Era works and our current political climate, Dr. Block's assignment is an invaluable resource. It demonstrates how literature from the past can provide insight into present-day challenges and encourages students to engage with both literary analysis and current events in a creative, thoughtful manner.

We're thrilled to see innovative teaching methods like this that breathe new life into our classrooms while fostering important discussions about our political landscape. Kudos to Dr. Block for developing this assignment and to the Uncloseting Byron project for inspiring such creative approaches to teaching Romantic literature.

See the assignment here!

Do you have similar assignments you’ve implemented in your classroom? Please reach out to us and we can share them on our resources page.