Read Gioia's “Notes on the New Formalism” and investigate the responses to it. Lead a class discussion and assessment of his vision of the future of poetry.

Gioia uses the technique of listing in the poem, much as Walt Whitman does in his poetry but with different effects. Read one of Whitman's poems, such as “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking” or “When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer,” and compare in an essay his lists with those in “The Litany.” Consider why each author chose the objects in the list and how they help express the poems' themes.

Investigate the stages of grieving that a person goes through when a loved one dies. Chart these stages and any appearance of them in the poem in a PowerPoint presentation.

Write a short story or poem about the speaker in “The Litany,” envisioning him...