Language Arts · Grade 7

Active learning ideas

Literary Devices in Song Lyrics

Active learning helps students connect abstract literary devices to real-world examples they already know. Song lyrics make figurative language, rhythm, and theme feel immediate and relevant, allowing students to analyze and create with confidence.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.2

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Lyric Annotation Stations: Figurative Language Focus

Prepare stations with printed lyrics from 4 songs. At each, students highlight metaphors, similes, and personification, then jot notes on emotional impact. Groups rotate every 10 minutes and compile a class chart of examples.

Analyze how a songwriter uses metaphor to express complex emotions in a song.

Facilitation Tip

During Lyric Annotation Stations, circulate with a clipboard and ask guiding questions like, 'What emotion does this metaphor create? How does it connect to the song's theme?' to push thinking.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, unfamiliar song lyric excerpt. Ask them to identify one example of figurative language, name the device, and write one sentence explaining its effect on the lyric's meaning.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Pairs

Repetition Remix: Pairs Comparison

Pairs receive song lyrics and a matching poem excerpt. They underline repetition, discuss its role in mood or message, then rewrite a verse altering repeats. Share rewrites with the class.

Compare the use of repetition in song lyrics to its function in traditional poetry.

Facilitation Tip

In Repetition Remix, remind pairs to compare not just the lyrics but the purpose of repetition, using the same language they use for poetry.

What to look for

Present two songs with similar themes but different lyrical approaches. Ask students: 'How does the songwriter's choice of metaphor or repetition in Song A compare to Song B in conveying the central theme? Which approach do you find more effective and why?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Whole Class

Theme Performance Circle: Whole Class

Play song clips; students note themes silently. Form a circle to perform key lines dramatically, explaining device choices. Vote on strongest interpretations.

Evaluate how the musical elements of a song enhance or alter the meaning of its lyrics.

Facilitation Tip

In Theme Performance Circle, model how to separate lyrics from melody first, then discuss how the music changes interpretation after hearing the full song.

What to look for

During lyric analysis, pause and ask: 'Can anyone find an example of repetition in this verse? What purpose does it seem to serve here, similar to how we see it in poetry?' Call on 2-3 students to share their findings.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Case Study Analysis
• 25 min · Individual

Music-Lyrics Matchup: Individual Mapping

Students listen to instrumental versions, then match to altered lyrics. Map how music changes theme perception in journals.

Analyze how a songwriter uses metaphor to express complex emotions in a song.

Facilitation Tip

For Music-Lyrics Matchup, provide headphones and a timer to keep students focused on mapping relationships between lyrics and musical elements.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, unfamiliar song lyric excerpt. Ask them to identify one example of figurative language, name the device, and write one sentence explaining its effect on the lyric's meaning.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic through layered analysis: start with lyrics alone, then add melody, and finally discuss how context (artist, genre, era) influences meaning. Avoid assuming students recognize devices in music automatically; scaffold by comparing lyrics to familiar poems before diving into songs. Research shows students benefit from repeated exposure to the same device across different texts, so revisit metaphors and repetition in multiple activities.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently identify literary devices in lyrics, explain their effects, and reflect on how music enhances meaning. Evidence in their annotations, discussions, and performances will show their growing analytical skills.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Lyric Annotation Stations, watch for students who dismiss song lyrics as lacking literary devices.

  Use the station’s annotation guide to prompt students to find at least three examples of figurative language, then compare their findings in small groups to see how songwriters use metaphors and imagery similarly to poets.

• During Repetition Remix, watch for students who assume repetition only serves a catchy hook.

  Have pairs use the activity’s comparison worksheet to list three possible purposes for repetition, then use poetry examples from earlier units to justify their choices.

• During Theme Performance Circle, watch for students who believe the music overrides the lyrics’ meaning.

  Pause the performance and ask students to reread the lyrics without singing, then discuss how the words alone convey theme before considering how music amplifies it.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis